Security, Identity & Cloud Expert

We are seeking an experienced Security, Identity & Cloud Expert to join a busy IT team within a Higher Education environment on an interim basis. This role will provide hands-on support to the Identity team, assisting with day-to-day operational activities across identity and access management technologies.

The successful contractor will help maintain and support core identity services, allowing senior technical specialists to focus on ongoing project delivery and strategic change initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide operational support for Active Directory (AD) and Microsoft Entra ID environments.
• Assist with user lifecycle management, including joiners, movers, and leavers processes.
• Support identity and access management activities, ensuring secure and efficient user access.
• Troubleshoot and resolve identity-related incidents and service requests.
• Maintain group memberships, permissions, and access controls.
• Support administration of cloud-based identity and authentication services.
• Work closely with the wider Identity and Infrastructure teams to ensure service continuity.
• Contribute to documentation, process improvements, and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Assist with security-related tasks and compliance with organisational policies and standards.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong experience supporting Microsoft Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) environments.
• Good understanding of Identity and Access Management (IAM) principles.
• Experience managing user accounts, security groups, permissions, and authentication services.
• Knowledge of Microsoft 365 and cloud identity technologies.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working within complex enterprise environments.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience within Higher Education or a large public-sector organisation.
• Knowledge of Azure services and cloud security best practices.
• Experience supporting MFA, Conditional Access, and Single Sign-On (SSO).
• Familiarity with ITIL-based service management environments.

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