Senior Microsoft 365 Security Engineer

• We lead the shaping and securing of a sophisticated Microsoft 365 estate within a high-value research environment.
• We oversee identity protection, access governance, cloud threat defence and compliance across Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, Microsoft Defender, Purview and related services.
• We diagnose complex issues, conduct deep investigations, remediate threats and ensure policies, configurations and controls remain robust and resilient.
• We collaborate closely with cyber security, infrastructure, networking and service delivery teams to deliver new services and configurations securely and in line with modern best practice.
• We document secure standards and bring structure to complex environments.
• We communicate effectively with colleagues at all levels and represent our expertise across technical and non-technical audiences.

Technologies:

• Cloud
• Microsoft 365
• Security
• Office 365
• Backbone
• Support, We are supporting a prestigious, nationally significant scientific research organisation whose work drives some of the most advanced and ambitious projects in the UK. We operate at the forefront of innovation, managing digital and data environments of exceptional scale and complexity. Our Microsoft 365 ecosystem is central to safeguarding sensitive research, enabling scientific collaboration and ensuring critical services run securely and efficiently. This is a 6-month contract with a view to extend to 12 months and beyond, based in Oxford with hybrid working on site 2 days per week, starting ASAP. You will join a highly collaborative environment that values expertise, precision and forward-thinking solutions, with the opportunity to influence security strategy and contribute to work with national and global impact.

• We need substantial hands-on experience in Microsoft 365 security, with a deep understanding of identity protection, access control, threat detection and compliance.
• We need experience working in complex or hybrid environments, with confidence configuring, troubleshooting and enhancing services such as Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, Defender, Purview and related governance tools.
• We need experience interpreting and responding to cloud security threats, managing incidents end to end, and advising stakeholders on maintaining a strong security posture.
• We value experience with SIEM tooling, ideally Microsoft Sentinel, along with a strong understanding of Zero Trust principles, modern authentication and secure baseline configuration.
• We need someone who is proactive, analytical and organised, with a clear and concise communication style.
• We need someone comfortable managing competing priorities, producing strong documentation and presenting expertise to both technical and non-technical audiences.