What are the responsibilities and job description for the Microsoft 365 Architect position at Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.?
Provide enterprise-level architecture, strategy, and technical oversight across Microsoft 365 services, ensuring the platform is secure, scalable, and aligned with business objectives. This role defines architectural standards, governance models, and solution patterns across Exchange, Entra, Collaboration, and Power Platform workloads.
Serve as the highest-level technical authority for the platform, guiding design decisions, enabling Microsoft Copilot and AI capabilities, and ensuring all services operate within a well-defined, secure, and future-ready architecture. Partner closely with senior administrators, leadership, and cross-functional teams to drive platform maturity and long-term strategy.
Preferred location with hybrid work schedule: Kansas City, KS
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the overall Microsoft 365 architecture, including service design, integration patterns, and platform standards across all workloads
- Establish and enforce architectural governance, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, supportable, and aligned with enterprise standards
- Develop and maintain the Microsoft 365 roadmap, aligning platform capabilities with business strategy, Copilot enablement, and emerging technologies
- Design end-to-end solutions across Exchange Online, Microsoft Entra, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Power Platform, ensuring interoperability and consistency
- Define and standardize environment strategy, lifecycle management, and service boundaries across all M365 workloads
- Lead architectural design for Microsoft Copilot and AI-enabled solutions, ensuring data readiness, security, and responsible usage patterns
- Evaluate and approve complex solutions, integrations, and third-party applications to ensure alignment with architectural and security requirements
- Establish design patterns for identity, access, data governance, security, and compliance across Microsoft 365
- Identify and mitigate architectural risks related to data exposure, access control, integration sprawl, and AI-enabled services
- Serve as technical authority and escalation point for highly complex or cross-platform issues that span multiple M365 pillars
- Provide architectural guidance and direction to Senior System Administrators, ensuring consistency in implementation and operations
- Partner with security, IAM, infrastructure, compliance, and application teams to align Microsoft 365 architecture with enterprise standards
- Lead large-scale initiatives such as tenant migrations, mergers and acquisitions, platform transformations, and major service changes
- Evaluate new Microsoft 365 capabilities, providing recommendations on adoption, risk, and business value
- Develop and maintain architectural documentation, standards, blueprints, and reference designs
- Drive continuous improvement of the Microsoft 365 platform, focusing on scalability, automation, performance, and user experience
- Translate complex technical concepts into clear, business-aligned recommendations for leadership and stakeholders
- Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
(or equivalent combination of education and experience) - 8–12 years of experience in Microsoft 365, cloud platforms, or enterprise IT architecture
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale Microsoft 365 environments
- Experience leading architecture for identity, collaboration, messaging, and low-code platforms
- Experience designing solutions for Microsoft Copilot and AI-enabled capabilities within enterprise environments
- Microsoft certifications such as Enterprise Administrator Expert, Azure Solutions Architect, or equivalent preferred
- Deep understanding of Microsoft 365 architecture and service interdependencies across Exchange, Entra, Collaboration, and Power Platform
- Strong expertise in identity, access management, security, and compliance frameworks
- Ability to define and enforce architectural standards while enabling business innovation
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills across complex, multi-system environments
- Ability to balance governance, security, performance, and user experience at scale
- Excellent communication skills with ability to influence leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
- Ability to translate technical architecture into clear, business-friendly guidance
- Strong documentation and architectural modeling skills
- Ability to work independently with strategic focus while partnering effectively across teams
- Able to travel 5-15% of the time
An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans