Microsoft Security Architecture Lead - Africa at KPMG

Position Summary

The Microsoft Security Architecture Lead is a Senior Manager-level role responsible for designing and governing the technical architecture of all Microsoft Security and Cyber engagements within KPMG T&I's portfolio. This role ensures that KPMG's cybersecurity delivery is built on solid, alliance-approved Microsoft reference architectures - protecting deal quality before contracts are signed and maintaining technical integrity during delivery. The role is the primary technical authority on Microsoft Sentinel, Defender suite, Entra ID (Azure AD), Purview, and related security platform components across the African Technology & Innovation practice.

Key roles and responsibilities:

Security Architecture Design and Pre-Signing Governance (55%)

• Design technically sound, commercially structured, and Microsoft-aligned security architectures for all major T&I cybersecurity pursuits before contract signature.
• Lead pre-sales technical workshops with clients, articulating KPMG's cybersecurity approach and Microsoft Security solution architecture to CISO and IT leadership audiences.
• Review all cybersecurity scopes of work and technical proposals - ensuring they are deliverable, priced correctly, and aligned with Microsoft reference architectures.
• Define the high-level security architecture for SOC deployments, Sentinel implementations, Defender rollouts, Zero Trust programmes, and IAM transformations.
• Maintain KPMG T&I's library of Microsoft Security architecture templates, reference designs, and implementation playbooks.

Delivery Architecture Oversight (30%)

• Provide technical governance on major Microsoft Security delivery engagements - attending design reviews, architecture decision forums, and client technical steering committees.
• Serve as the technical escalation authority for Microsoft Security architecture decisions during active delivery.
• Ensure that delivery teams adhere to KPMG's standard security architecture patterns and Microsoft's security best practice frameworks.
• Conduct formal architecture reviews at key delivery milestones to identify technical drift and remediate design risk.
• Collaborate with Block E to document and systematise Microsoft Security delivery patterns for reuse across the portfolio.

Alliance and Community Engagement (15%)

• Maintain active Microsoft Security certification portfolio and stay current with Microsoft's evolving security platform roadmap.
• Participate in Microsoft's partner technical community - representing KPMG in architecture reviews, partner advisory boards, and technical enablement programmes.
• Run internal Microsoft Security knowledge-sharing sessions to uplift delivery team capability.
• Contribute to KPMG's cybersecurity thought leadership, particularly on Microsoft Security platform topics

Requirements

Academic/ Professional qualifications and Experience:

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related technical discipline.
• Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst (SC-200), Identity and Access Administrator (SC-300), and/or Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100) required.
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305) preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in cybersecurity, with at least 4 years focused on Microsoft Security platform architecture and implementation.
• Hands-on experience deploying Microsoft Sentinel, Defender for Cloud, Entra ID, and Purview in enterprise environments.
• Experience in African market technology delivery environments preferred.

Technical competencies & Personal attributes:

• Demonstrate and articulate KPMG values as well as proven capability in:
• Microsoft Security depth: recognised technical expert in the Microsoft Security platform suite with demonstrated implementation experience.
• Architecture rigour: able to define clear, scalable, and implementable security architectures for complex enterprise environments.
• Client engagement: comfortable leading technical workshops with senior client stakeholders including CISO, IT Directors, and compliance teams.
• Delivery focus: combines architectural thinking with practical delivery awareness - designing architectures that can actually be built on time and on budget.
• Continuous learning: committed to maintaining Microsoft certifications and staying current with the evolving security landscape.
• Collaboration: works effectively with delivery teams, Microsoft alliance architects, and client security teams.
• Market Intelligence: Demonstrate commercial awareness with sound knowledge of matters affecting the market.
• Business development entrepreneurial mind-set and ability to identify opportunities and develop high quality proposals.
• Personal effectiveness - Excellent report-writing and presentation skills.
• People management - Leadership & management skills.
• Performance management - Be a performance manager to the team in line with performance management guidelines.
• Risk management-lead in ensuring full compliance with KPMG quality & risk management requirements
• Capacity building - Takes a lead in building capability of team to future proof workforce and full utilization of existing workforce.