Enterprise Architect – Microsoft Focus

Enterprise Architect – Microsoft Focus

Chicago, IL – hybrid work from home: 3 days onsite in the loop, 2 days WFH

Summary

We're looking for an Enterprise Architect to join our newly formed Enterprise Architecture team. You will be the very first Enterprise Architect we hire, at a time of pivotal transformation for our global business. Our company has been a Microsoft shop for a long time, and we're looking to optimize value with our Microsoft productivity stack – starting with Azure (we are hybrid cloud still), M365, O365 and specific tools like Copilot, SharePoint, Power Platform, OneDrive, Purview, Entra, Graph, Teams, Exchange, Outlook, etc. So we need this EA to be coming from a Microsoft background.

Our company is also in the midst of an AI transformation, so we're looking for you to also lead the Copilot architecture and enablement, which includes tools like Foundry, Work IQ, Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, Scout, etc. So experience with the Microsoft AI/Data stack is also critical for this role.

While this is a Microsoft focused EA role, we're looking for this person to also have experience with Enterprise Architecture best practices, and help establish a foundation for the Enterprise Architecture team that's just starting to get built out.

If you're a Microsoft-focused Enterprise Architect with a passion for AI and new technology, apply today!

What you'll be doing

· Design and own the target-state architecture and standards for the Microsoft productivity estate, including SharePoint and OneDrive information architecture, permissions and sharing, lifecycle, and SharePoint Advanced Management to keep the estate Copilot-ready.

· Architect Teams (including Teams Phone and Rooms), Exchange Online and Outlook, Microsoft 365 Groups, and the wider Microsoft 365 application portfolio, including data residency, Microsoft 365 Backup, and integration with the data systems.

· Lead enterprise deployment and remediation of the Microsoft stack, retiring inconsistent policies, oversharing, and legacy configuration through pilots, waves, and change management.

· Configure Microsoft Entra and design the tenant's administrative architecture: the Microsoft 365 permission model, admin roles, tenant-wide policies and configuration profiles, and configuration-as-code baselines.

· Establish, with Information Security and Information Governance, the Microsoft Purview architecture (sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, retention, information barriers, eDiscovery, and legal hold) and the interfaces to Intune, Defender XDR, and Entra.

· Drive Copilot enablement across the estate (readiness and data hygiene, licensing, grounding, connectors, and adoption guardrails), operate the Copilot Control System, and establish the agent identity and governance model (Entra Agent ID, Microsoft Agent 365, and Copilot Studio).

· Architect Microsoft Foundry and its integration with the Azure estate, define governance for Fabric, Power BI, and the Power Platform, and translate Microsoft's AI and productivity roadmap (Work IQ, Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, and Microsoft Scout) into priorities, pilots, and licensing inputs.

· Liaise with Microsoft engineering as the primary technical counterpart, bringing requirements and escalations to Microsoft; partner with Security, Enterprise IT Services, Network, Endpoint, and business stakeholders; and mentor Microsoft 365 administrators and engineers.

Skills we're seeking

· 7+ years of experience with M365 Architecture and/or Engineering

o Must have deep knowledge across the Microsoft stack (we don't expect you to be an expert with everything, but the more knowledge the better): Azure, M365, O365 and specific tools like Copilot, SharePoint, Power Platform, OneDrive, Purview, Intune, Entra, Graph, Teams

o Must also have strong experience with Microsoft 365 permission model, policies, and configuration profiles, with proficiency in the Microsoft 365 admin center, the Copilot Control System, and the workload admin centers.

· 3+ years of experience as an Enterprise Architect

· Experience with Microsoft Foundry architecture within Azure

o The more experience with the following the better: Work IQ, Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, MS Scout

Nice to haves

· Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Computer Science or IT related field

· Microsoft certifications – ideally Azure and Architecture focused

· TOGAF experience

· Professional services experience