As an M365 Consultant/Senior Consultant, you will help transform clients’ cybersecurity posture by designing and implementing advanced Microsoft Threat Protection technologies. You will work directly with clients in a consulting capacity, supporting medium to large enterprise environments and contributing to robust Cyber Defence strategies across endpoints, identities, cloud, and collaboration platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement AV/EDR solutions (e.g., Microsoft Defender for Endpoint) to detect and respond to cyber threats across major operating systems.

• Protect email, messaging, and collaboration platforms from phishing, spear phishing, BEC, and identity-related attacks.

• Develop and maintain cyber defence use cases, correlation rules, and attack chain detections across disparate systems.

• Design, implement, and integrate SIEM solutions—particularly Microsoft Sentinel—into Security Operations.

• Perform threat hunting across endpoints, identities, networking, cloud, and collaboration platforms in the Microsoft ecosystem.

• Handle L2-level incidents leveraging Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender tools.

• Support incident response, triage, threat modelling, and vulnerability remediation within Azure-hosted environments.

• Create, run, and troubleshoot Azure Logic Apps, playbooks, and Sentinel automation components.

• Collaborate with business and security stakeholders to define and enhance security standards and improve security posture.

Microsoft Security Operations Centre (SOC) Analyst – T2 & T3

(Security Clearance Required)

Preferred Location - Newcastle

Job Description

The SOC Analyst Team operates as a next‑generation, intelligence‑led Security Operations function, designed to deliver high‑quality, scalable 24×7 security monitoring and response.

All SOC analysts participate in a 24×7 shift model, ensuring uninterrupted service coverage, while also contributing to detection improvement, automation feedback, and service optimisation when operational demand allows.

Tier 2 – SOC Analyst

Technology Primary – Microsoft Sentinel & Service Now.

Role Purpose

Tier 2 SOC Analysts represent the primary human analysis function, responsible for investigating escalated alerts and incidents that require human judgement, contextual understanding, and analytical depth.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform deep investigation of escalated alerts and incidents from automated Tier 1 workflows

• Validate threats, scope impact, and determine severity using contextual analysis

• Investigate across multiple data sources, including:

  • SIEM

  • EDR / XDR

  • Identity and authentication telemetry

  • Cloud and SaaS platforms

• Coordinate and execute response actions in line with:

  • Defined playbooks

  • Client‑specific requirements

  • Incident response procedures

• Maintain clear, high‑quality investigation documentation and handover notes

Operational Expectations

• Operate as part of a 24×7 shift rota

• Maintain accountability for investigation accuracy and quality

• Escalate complex or ambiguous cases to Tier 3 appropriately

• Provide structured feedback into:

  • Detection tuning

  • Alert quality improvements

  • Automation optimisation

Continuous Improvement Contributions

When operational demand allows, Tier 2 analysts are expected to contribute insight time to platform improvement activities, supporting the Platform Automation Lead through:

• Identification of repeatable investigation patterns

• Feedback on automation opportunities

• Playbook refinement and improvement

• Detection logic tuning recommendations

Location: Reading (full time on site)

Must be Eligible for Security Clearance

Unlock the potential of Microsoft 365 as a support engineer, ensuring our customers M365 deployments are delivering as expected. Join us at Avanade, where creativity, innovation, and career growth thrive.

Come join us:

As a member of the UKI Delivery Centre Team you will work on M365 projects for our clients. Do you Enjoy developing long lasting working relationships with clients in some of the biggest household names in the world, across a variety of industries? Dream of delivering innovative, tailored modern IT solutions that truly make a difference?  Work with a team where your individual skills and experience are recognized and valued? Embrace your innate passion for technology, where you will be encouraged to continuous learn and develop your skills further. Join us as we shape the future with technology-driven excellence! Together we do what matters.

What you’ll do:

• Delivering M365 L1/L2 support for our customers.
• Take ownership of tickets, delivering support to SLA’s.
• Liaise closely with customers, keeping them updated with progress.
• Work closely with your Team and other Delivery Centre staff.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of the M365 suite, and all required tools and products.
• Work at a great customer location

Summary

You will take charge of leading our most critical and complex projects and programmes, with full accountability of delivery you will be responsible for nurturing and maintaining strong client relationships to ensure delivery excellence and client satisfaction are achieved. Adhering to schedule, budget and quality benchmarks are expected. Your role will be instrumental in growing our clients and supporting both theirs and our growth. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to provide mentorship and technical expertise to our talented colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

·       Have delivery accountability of contracted solutions at the programme or project level, ensuring adherence to deal economics, schedule, and quality standards.

·       Effectively managing overall project/programme risks, making critical adjustments as necessary and gaining buy-in from senior management for key project plans.

·       Overseeing and driving the development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive project work plans.

·       Accountability of the traceability of project requirements throughout the project life cycle.

·       Providing strategic direction for all change management activities and supporting clients in their change enablement processes

·       Seek out growth opportunities for the account, the client, the team and our people.

·       Mentoring and developing team members, providing oversight to the management of relationships with suppliers and subcontractors

• Demonstrate your client communication skills at all levels, including executive level, with consideration for different cultures and first languages

• Be the escalation point for delivery issues taking a hands-on approach where necessary to course correct troublesome projects

• Ensure consistent programme governance is in place, attend and contribute in steering meetings and project progress updates.

• Manage the expectations of the Client and the teams

• Manage the sales process:

  • Review the solution to confirm it can be delivered within the budget available

  • Draft or review contracts ensuring scope, dependencies and risks can be managed

  • Ensure deliverables and work products are achievable

  • Review staffing proposals to ensure they have the right skills and capability