Azure Platform Administrator

Azure Platform Administrator Salary: £43,000 - £52,000 per annum Employment type: Permanent Hours per week: 37 Reporting into: Head of Platforms and Infrastructure Department: IT Click here to read the full job description and view our excellent benefits here This role operates primarily on a remote working arrangement that will require little to no travel into our UK sites. You may very occasionally need to attend an onsite meeting. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts. About Arden University : We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education. There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations. About our Department : This Azure Platform Administrator role sits within the Cloud Platform team as part of the wider IT Department. The Team is responsible for the design, development and continuous enhancement of the organisation's cloud platforms. The wider IT team is made up of around 60 employees with a vast range of skills from Software Development to IT Operations and IT Security. Our IT Department values employee development and we have lots of great examples of employee progression and promotions within the team. About the Opportunity: At Arden University, technology plays a vital role in delivering accessible, flexible education to students across the UK and internationally. As our Azure Platform Administrator, you will be at the heart of our cloud infrastructure, ensuring that our Microsoft Azure environment remains secure, resilient, and high-performing. This is an exciting opportunity for a cloud professional who is passionate about platform excellence, automation, and continuous improvement. You will take ownership of the day-to-day administration of Arden’s Azure estate, helping to maintain robust security controls, optimise performance and costs, and support the delivery of reliable digital services across the university. Working collaboratively with colleagues across Cyber Security, Infrastructure, Development, and IT Operations, you will play a key role in maintaining platform standards, supporting incident and change management activities, and driving best practice in cloud governance. You will also contribute to the evolution of our cloud capabilities, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, strengthen security, and support the university’s wider digital transformation ambitions. About You: If you thrive in a dynamic environment, enjoy solving complex technical challenges, and want to make a meaningful impact within a growing and innovative higher education institution, we would love to hear from you. Essential Skills / Experience: Proven experience administering and supporting Microsoft Azure environments within a medium to large organisation. Strong understanding of Azure governance principles, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Azure Policy, resource organisation, naming standards, tagging strategies, and subscription management. Experience maintaining secure Azure platforms through the application of governance controls, baseline hardening, access management, and threat protection measures. Solid knowledge of cloud security best practices, including Zero Trust principles, identity governance, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management (PIM), and managed identities. Experience implementing and maintaining Azure platform standards aligned to recognised cloud architecture and security best practices. Strong understanding of Azure networking, compute, storage, monitoring, and identity services. Experience administering Microsoft Entra ID, including identity lifecycle management, access governance, authentication, and authorisation controls. Experience administering Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, and related integrations with Azure. Practical experience supporting secure integration between Azure and Microsoft 365 workloads, including identity, security, and audit logging. Experience supporting Azure security operations, including responding to security alerts, maintaining compliance with security baselines, and managing secure configurations across cloud resources. Ability to monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve complex platform, security, and operational issues within Azure environments. Experience contributing to Azure platform improvement initiatives, including governance enhancements, security optimisation, and operational efficiency improvements. Experience working collaboratively with infrastructure, cyber security, and development teams to support cloud-based services and solutions. Understanding of cloud-native technologies, application hosting, CI/CD concepts, and secure deployment practices. Relevant Microsoft Azure certification (such as AZ-104, AZ-500, SC-300, AZ-305, Azure Enterprise Administrator Expert, or equivalent experience). Why Arden: At Arden, you will become a part of a passionate and dedicated team who are committed to removing unnecessary barriers to learning and making education more accessible. Our people work hard to ensure our students journeys are the best they can possibly be, as such we want to reward our people with fantastic benefits. Employees benefit from: 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure! A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7% BUPA Cash Plan Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles) Access to Perkbox benefits Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends Plus, other excellent benefits Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education Our Values: Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness, reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you. There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations. Closing Date: 16th June (midnight We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible. If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access. Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role. If you wish to be considered under this scheme, you can indicate via the application form below. By doing so, you are also consenting for this information to be shared with the hiring team. For more details on what qualifies as a disability under the Disability Equality Act 2010, please refer to the guidance here . As an Equal Opportunity Employer we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we make sure that our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups. Sponsorship statement: Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa, or fulfil the criteria we have for providing sponsorship.  However we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route. Department Information Technology Locations Coventry Remote status Fully Remote Yearly salary £43,000 - £52,000 Employment type Full-time Working model (Please note, our working models are a non-contractual benefit and can be subject to change) Remote Contract Type: Professional Services Contract About Arden University Since 1990, Arden University has reshaped flexible higher education, becoming a beacon for accessible learning. Beginning as a trusted online partner for UK universities, we've transformed into a symbol of online and blended degree courses designed for modern lives. With over 90 career-focused qualifications, validated by prestigious bodies like the British Psychological Society and Chartered Management Institute, our dedication to exceptional education stands strong. Our mission is forward-looking and purposeful. We understand the evolving needs of employers and the global economy, driving us to champion meaningful change. Through our Study Centres in the UK (Manchester, Birmingham, London, Leeds, Nottingham) and Berlin, Germany, we empower a diverse student community to access life-altering degree pathways. At our core lies equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, rooted in the belief that education is a force for both individual and collective progress. By seamlessly merging technology and education, we're breaking down barriers and revolutionizing conventional learning models. Join our community of around 1,100 colleagues in shaping a more accessible, inclusive, and brighter future for all. Founded in 1990