Job Title: Director, Cyber Security Workplace Identity Services
GCL: F
Introduction to the role:
Ready to lead a high-impact, enterprise-critical identity security function and give to crafting the future of secure access at global scale? Join AstraZeneca asDirector, Cyber Security Workplace Identity Servicesand play a pivotal role in protecting the digital workplace while enabling colleagues to work simply, securely, and effectively.
You will define the strategy and lead the technical vision for identity services used by our workforce every day. These include authentication, directory, federation, password, and certificate services. You will help drive an outstanding, secure-by-default approach that strengthens cyber resilience, improves user experience, and supports the discovery, development, and delivery of life-changing medicines.
This is an exciting opportunity to combine strategic leadership with operational impact. You will set the vision, build the roadmap, and work across technology and business teams to deliver modern, resilient, and scalable identity capabilities. If you are passionate about transformation, collaboration, and delivering important outcomes, this role offers the chance to create a real difference!
Role responsibilities:
- Lead the strategy, roadmap, and engineering direction for enterprise identity management across authentication, directory services, Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA, SSO and federation, identity-related DNS, password services, and PKI or certificate services. You will drive modernization initiatives such as phishing-resistant MFA, password less adoption, federation standardization, and stronger control implementation to improve assurance while simplifying user access.
- Identity security policies, standards, and controls. You will ensure authentication, user management, single sign-on, credential, and digital certificate services are secure and effective. These services will align with business priorities. You will also advise senior collaborators on cyber risk, compliance, and data privacy matters, translating sophisticated requirements into practical and measurable solutions.
- Working closely with partners across cyber security, infrastructure, operations, and business technology, you will guide architecture, engineering, adoption, and service readiness. You will lead efforts to improve risk visibility, service performance, policy compliance, and operational resilience, while supporting secure and stable production outcomes across the enterprise.
- Play a key leadership role in building capability through team development, mentor, hiring, and resource planning. Alongside this, you will handle budgets, support transformation initiatives, reduce technical debt, and help embed a culture of continuous improvement and shared success across a globally dispersed organization.
Essential skills and experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in information security, computer science, or a related field
- 15+ years of significant experience defining and delivering enterprise cyber security strategies, particularly in workplace identity, authentication, directory security, and trust services.
- Deep experience translating policy and architectural requirements into secure, scalable, and supportable identity capabilities within large global organizations.
- Successfully led long-term identity-focused security initiatives such as Conditional Access modernization, MFA enhancement, password less programs, federation improvement, and certificate service uplift.
- Bring solid understanding of identity-related threat vectors, charge methods, and mitigation approaches, including account compromise, privilege misuse, federation abuse, and authentication bypass scenarios.
- Led sophisticated platforms, programs, and operational services across technologies such as Microsoft Entra ID, Active Directory, Conditional Access, MFA, SSO and federation, password services, identity-related DNS, and PKI or certificate services. Experienced in operating within quality and compliance environments, handling global teams and collaborators, and balancing engineering delivery with production support, vendor management, and budget accountability.
- Effective people leader who can inspire teams, lead through change, and influence senior collaborators across functions and geographies. Comfortable working in sophisticated environments and bringing people together to deliver strategic outcomes at pace.
Desirable skills and experience:
- Relevant security certifications in identity or cyber security are preferred.
- Experience working across shared engineering and operations models, as well as experience leading managers, would also be beneficial.
When we bring together unexpected teams, we unlock bold thinking that can encourage life-changing medicines. Our approach to in-person working helps us connect, move faster, and challenge perspectives together. That is why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office, while still respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our ambitious and distinctive environment.
Why AstraZeneca
At AstraZeneca, your expertise in identity security will help protect the platforms and tools our colleagues rely on every day. Your work will directly support the pace and impact of science by enabling secure, seamless access across the organization. You will collaborate with talented teams, work on meaningful challenges, and help build capabilities that matter across the enterprise.
This is a place where innovation, accountability, and teamwork come together. With the scale to deliver transformational change and the support to explore new insights, you will have the opportunity to build lasting impact and help move the business forward. It is a chance to be part of something bigger and to help define what great looks like in workplace identity security!
Date Posted
05-Jun-2026
Closing Date
02-Jul-2026
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.
