Cloud Security Architecture & Engineering :

- Maintain secure Azure architectures aligned with Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) and industry best practices.

- Lead the implementation of security controls across Azure services, including encryption, network security, identity protection, and workload hardening.

- Ensure secure configuration baselines using tools such as Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud, Blueprints/Bicep, and Landing Zones.

- Oversee secure DevOps practices including CI/CD security, secret management, and vulnerability management.

Governance, Risk & Compliance :

- Develop, implement, and maintain Azure governance frameworks covering identity, cost, resource management, data protection, and compliance.

- Establish and enforce governance rules through Azure Policy, RBAC, Conditional Access, and Privileged Identity Management (PIM).

- Lead risk assessments, cloud security posture reviews, and remediation planning.

- Ensure alignment with standards such as ISO 27001, NIST, CIS Benchmarks, PCI-DSS, and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR).

Identity & Access Management (IAM) :

- Own the Azure identity and access governance model, ensuring principle of least privilege and role-based access.

- Oversee MFA, Conditional Access, PIM, and identity lifecycle procedures.

- Collaborate with security operations and identity teams to enhance identity resilience and threat detection.

Operational Security & Monitoring :

- Drive continuous improvement of cloud security posture through monitoring, threat intelligence, and incident response readiness.

- Work with SOC teams to enhance alerting, detection, and response in Defender for Cloud and Sentinel.

- Lead security incident investigations related to Azure workloads and identities.

Strategy, Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement :

- Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for Azure security and governance across the team.

- Provide guidance to engineering, operations, and project teams to embed secure-by-design principles.

- Partner with architecture, infrastructure, and compliance teams to maintain coherence of cloud strategy.

- Mentor junior staff and contribute to upskilling initiatives.

Required Skills & Experience :

- 7+ years in cloud security, architecture, or governance roles, with at least 4 years hands on in Azure.

- Deep knowledge of Azure security services including :

1. Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, Key Vault, App Gateway/WAF

2. Azure Policy, RBAC, PIM, Conditional Access

3. Azure Networking security (NSGs, ASGs, Firewall, Private Links)

- Strong understanding of Zero Trust architecture and secure-by-design methodologies.

- Practical experience building and maintaining Azure Landing Zones and governance frameworks.

- Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks (ISO 27001, CIS, NIST, GDPR).

- Demonstrable experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (Bicep, ARM, Terraform preferred).

- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with ability to translate complex security topics into business language.

Preferred Qualifications :

- Microsoft Certified : Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)

- Microsoft Certified : Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)

- Microsoft Certified : Identity and Access Administrator (SC-300)

- CISSP, CISM, or equivalent industry certifications

- Experience leading cloud security transformations in large enterprise environments