Principal Microsoft 365 Consultant / Architect

Job Title: Principal Microsoft 365 Consultant / Architect

Role Overview:

Ergo are seeking a Principal Microsoft 365 Consultant / Architect to play a senior, client‑facing leadership role within our Microsoft 365 practice.

This is a hands-on architecture and delivery leadership role, responsible for designing, governing, and assuring complex Microsoft 365 solutions across large enterprise and public sector customers. The successful candidate will act as a trusted advisor, solution authority, and delivery escalations point for high‑risk, high‑impact engagements.

You will work across Microsoft 365 and tenant-to-tenant migrations, Microsoft 365 security and governance, Copilot adoption, identity and collaboration architecture, and multi‑phase workplace transformation programmes, supporting both pre‑sales and delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Solution Architecture & Technical Authority

• Own the end‑to‑end Microsoft 365 architecture for complex engagements, from discovery through design, migration, rollout, and optimisation.
• Define target-state and transitional architectures covering:
  • Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams
  • Microsoft 365 security & compliance (Purview, Defender, Entra ID)
  • Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Copilot Studio readiness
• Produce and quality‑assure Low Level Designs (LLDs), architecture diagrams, governance models, and technical runbooks.
• Act as the final technical escalation point for delivery teams on complex or high‑risk issues.

2. Migration & Transformation Leadership

• Architect and govern large-scale Microsoft 365 programmes including on-premises, tenant-to-tenant and Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration programmes.
• Define and oversee:
  • Migration waves, coexistence strategies, cutover approaches
  • Identity and access models (Entra ID, hybrid, multi‑tenant orgs)
  • Data, permissions, and information protection strategies
• Ensure quality, risk management, and auditability throughout delivery.

3. Copilot & AI Enablement

• Lead Copilot readiness, governance, and adoption engagements.
• Design Copilot enablement approaches covering:
  • Security, compliance, and data controls
  • User readiness and adoption
  • Responsible AI and governance
• Support Copilot workshops, executive briefings, and training programmes alongside adoption specialists.

4. Governance, Security & Risk Management

• Design Microsoft 365 governance frameworks aligned to enterprise and public sector requirements.
• Advise clients on:
  • Information protection, sensitivity labels, retention and eDiscovery
  • Conditional Access, Zero Trust, and Defender capabilities
• Proactively identify ambiguities, architectural risks, and delivery constraints, and propose mitigations early.

5. Client Engagement & Trusted Advisor Role

• Act as architectural lead in client workshops, design sessions, and steering group meetings.
• Translate complex technical decisions into clear, executive-level explanations.
• Build long‑term client trust through pragmatic, evidence‑based guidance.

6. Pre‑Sales & Practice Leadership

• Support pre‑sales activities including:
  • RFP responses, proposals, Statements of Work
  • Solution shaping, estimates, and delivery approaches
• Review and challenge commercial proposals for clarity, feasibility, and delivery risk.
• Mentor senior and mid‑level consultants; raise technical and delivery standards across the practice.
• Contribute to the evolution of:
  • Reference architectures
  • Delivery playbooks
  • Quality and assurance standards

Required Experience & Skills

Essential

• 8–12+ years’ experience in Microsoft 365 consulting, architecture, or solution leadership roles.
• Proven experience leading large, complex Microsoft 365 programmes (enterprise or public sector).
• Deep hands‑on expertise across:
  • Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams
  • Entra ID (Azure AD), Conditional Access, identity models
  • Microsoft 365 security & compliance (Purview, Defender)
• Strong experience with tenant‑to‑tenant migrations and/or other complex M365 migrations.
• Experience acting as a technical authority across multi‑workstream delivery teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including with senior client leadership.

Desirable

• Experience delivering Copilot for Microsoft 365 readiness or adoption engagements.
• Familiarity with:
  • Complex governance models
  • Microsoft licensing strategy (E3/E5/E7/F3)
• Microsoft certifications at Expert level (e.g. Enterprise Administrator Expert, Security Administrator).

What Success Looks Like

• Clients trust you as their go‑to Microsoft 365 authority.
• Delivery teams rely on your guidance to resolve complex issues quickly and safely.
• Programmes are well‑governed, low‑drama, and defensible from an audit and risk perspective.
• Pre‑sales solutions are realistic, clear, and deliverable.
• The overall technical maturity of the practice continues to rise.