Practice Lead - Security

We are looking for a Practice Lead – Security to build and lead our Security practice focused on mid-market enterprises across Canada. This is an opportunity to build something, not simply manage an existing security practice. This is a senior leadership role for an experienced security professional who understands how Azure, AI, agentic AI, cloud transformation, governance, and cybersecurity are changing the way organizations operate. As a Frontier Firm, we believe the next generation of technology services will be built around AI-native ways of working, intelligent agents, automation, and secure cloud platforms. Security must be embedded into this transformation from the beginning—not treated as a separate technology layer. The Practice Lead will help our mid-market clients navigate this transformation by combining security strategy, Azure, AI, governance, risk management, and technology modernization into practical business outcomes. This role combines practice building, client advisory, solution development, business development, and team leadership. Key Responsibilities Build the Security Practice Build and grow a differentiated Security practice for the Canadian mid-market. Define the practice strategy, offerings, solutions, and go-to-market approach. Develop repeatable and scalable security offerings for mid-market organizations. Establish Security as a strategic component of our broader Azure, Data & AI, and Modern Work capabilities. Build strong relationships with Microsoft and the broader technology ecosystem. Develop a strong pipeline and contribute directly to practice revenue and profitability. Frontier Firm & AI Leadership Help define what security looks like in an AI-first and agentic world. Advise clients on securing AI adoption, agentic AI, AI agents, data, identities, applications, and cloud environments. Develop security and governance frameworks for organizations adopting generative AI and agentic AI. Help clients establish appropriate AI governance, risk management, privacy, compliance, and security controls. Identify opportunities to use AI and automation to improve security operations and organizational resilience. Work across the organization to embed security into AI transformation rather than treating it as an afterthought. Client Advisory Act as a trusted advisor to CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, and IT leaders. Understand business priorities and translate them into practical security and technology strategies. Lead executive workshops, security assessments, technology roadmaps, and transformation initiatives. Help mid-market organizations adopt enterprise-grade security capabilities without unnecessary complexity. Articulate the business value of security investments in terms of risk reduction, resilience, productivity, and business enablement. Azure & Cloud Security Provide strategic leadership around Azure and cloud security. Help clients design secure cloud foundations and modernization strategies. Address identity, data, applications, infrastructure, governance, compliance, and operational security across cloud environments. Integrate security into Azure transformation and broader cloud adoption programs. Work closely with Azure, Data & AI, and Modern Work practices to deliver integrated solutions. Governance, Risk & Compliance Develop practical governance frameworks appropriate for mid-market organizations. Advise clients on security governance, risk management, compliance, privacy, and regulatory requirements. Help organizations establish policies and operating models for cloud, AI, data, and technology. Develop approaches to responsible and secure adoption of emerging technologies. Solution Development & Delivery Lead the development of security strategies, architectures, proposals, roadmaps, and statements of work. Develop differentiated security offerings and intellectual property focused on securing agentic AI, AI-enabled organizations, and next-generation Azure environments. Work with delivery teams to ensure successful implementation and measurable client outcomes. Establish methodologies and best practices for security engagements. Identify opportunities for recurring and managed security services. Team Leadership Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing Security team. Build the capabilities required to support the next generation of cloud and AI-enabled security. Establish technical standards, methodologies, and career development paths. Foster collaboration across Security, Azure, Data & AI, Modern Work, and other practices. Provide leadership on complex client engagements. Ideal Candidate: The ideal Practice Lead candidate will have significant ownership over the strategy, offerings, client relationships, team, and growth of the Security practice while working at the intersection of Azure, cybersecurity, AI, agentic AI, governance, and business transformation. 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, information security, cloud security, technology consulting, or a related field. Strong understanding of Azure and cloud transformation. Strong understanding of modern cybersecurity, risk, governance, identity, data protection, and cloud security. Experience advising organizations on AI, generative AI, or emerging technology security is highly desirable. Understanding of agentic AI and the security and governance implications of AI agents. Proven experience working with mid-market or enterprise organizations. Strong client-facing and executive advisory experience. Experience developing security strategies, architectures, proposals, and commercial offerings. Demonstrated ability to build relationships and develop business. Experience leading technical teams or building a consulting practice. Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills. Requirements: CISSP, CISM, or equivalent security certification. Microsoft security, Azure, or cloud certifications. Experience working with Microsoft and its partner ecosystem. Experience building a professional services or consulting practice. Experience with managed security services. Experience developing AI governance and responsible AI frameworks. Experience helping organizations adopt generative AI and agentic AI securely. What Success Looks Like Building a recognized Security practice for the Canadian mid-market. Establishing the company as a trusted advisor for secure Azure and AI transformation. Developing differentiated security offerings for agentic AI, AI agents, and AI-first organizations. Creating new approaches to secure AI adoption, AI governance, identity, data, applications, and autonomous agents. Building strong relationships with Microsoft and key client stakeholders. Creating a high-performing Security team. Growing security pipeline, revenue, and recurring services. Delivering measurable improvements in clients' security posture and technology resilience. Helping position the company as a Frontier Firm at the forefront of secure AI and agentic transformation. About Optimus Optimus is a leading systems integrator helping organizations become frontier firms by accelerating their adoption of cloud, data, and AI. We work closely with Microsoft and mid-market enterprise clients to drive measurable business transformation through the Microsoft ecosystem—including Azure, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform. If you are a security leader who enjoys building, advising, selling, innovating, and delivering—and wants to help define how mid-market organizations securely enter the AI era—we would like to hear from you.