Enterprise Architect – Microsoft Focus
Location: Chicago, IL
Hybrid: 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, where we still operate in a hybrid cloud environment, as well as M365, O365, and specific tools such as Copilot, SharePoint, Power Platform, OneDrive, Purview, Entra, Graph, Teams, Exchange, Outlook, and more. We need this Enterprise Architect to come from a strong Microsoft background.
Our company is also in the midst of an AI transformation, so we’re looking for this person to lead Copilot architecture and enablement, including tools such as Foundry, Work IQ, Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, Scout, and related technologies. Experience with the Microsoft AI/Data stack is also critical for this role.
While this is a Microsoft-focused Enterprise Architecture role, we’re also looking for someone with experience in Enterprise Architecture best practices who can help establish the foundation for an Enterprise Architecture team that is just beginning to be built out.
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 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, including the Microsoft 365 permission model, admin roles, tenant-wide policies, configuration profiles, and configuration-as-code baselines
- Establish, in partnership with Information Security and Information Governance, the Microsoft Purview architecture, including sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, retention, information barriers, eDiscovery, legal hold, and integrations with Intune, Defender XDR, and Entra
- Drive Copilot enablement across the estate, including readiness and data hygiene, licensing, grounding, connectors, and adoption guardrails; operate the Copilot Control System; and establish the agent identity and governance model using 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 Power Platform, and translate Microsoft’s AI and productivity roadmap — including 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
- Deep knowledge across the Microsoft stack; we do not expect expertise in every area, but broader exposure is preferred
- Technologies may include Azure, M365, O365, Copilot, SharePoint, Power Platform, OneDrive, Purview, Intune, Entra, Graph, and Teams
- Strong experience with the Microsoft 365 permission model, policies, and configuration profiles
- Proficiency with the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, Copilot Control System, and workload admin centers
- 3+ years of experience as an Enterprise Architect
- Experience with Microsoft Foundry architecture within Azure
- Additional experience with Work IQ, Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, and Microsoft Scout is preferred
Nice to Haves
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
- Microsoft certifications, ideally Azure- and architecture-focused
- TOGAF experience
- Professional services experience