Solution Architect

Cushman & Wakefield · Chicago · $124,780–$146,800 (stated in the posting)

Job Title

Solution Architect

Job Description Summary

The Solution Architect – Microsoft Collaboration & Power Platform is responsible for the architecture, governance, automation, operational excellence, and strategic direction of the organization's Microsoft 365 collaboration ecosystem. This role serves as the technical lead for SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Power Platform, and related Microsoft 365 collaboration services.

The architect partners with business leaders, security teams, infrastructure teams, and external vendors to design scalable, secure, and cost-effective collaboration solutions while ensuring regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and exceptional end-user experiences.

The role requires deep technical expertise combined with strong business acumen, leadership, governance, and communication skills.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Microsoft 365 Collaboration Architecture

Lead architecture and governance for:
- SharePoint Online
- Microsoft Teams
- OneDrive for Business
- Viva Connections and related collaboration technologies
Develop and maintain collaboration platform roadmaps.
Define standards, best practices, and architectural patterns.
Evaluate new Microsoft features and determine organizational adoption strategies.
Serve as escalation point for complex platform issues and strategic initiatives.

SharePoint & OneDrive Governance

Define and implement SharePoint governance frameworks.
Establish site lifecycle management processes.
Develop strategies to manage storage growth and platform sprawl.
Implement controls for sharing, permissions, and external collaboration.
Manage archival and lifecycle processes for inactive and terminated employee data.
Develop solutions to optimize storage costs while maintaining compliance requirements.

Microsoft Teams Governance

Design and maintain Teams governance policies.
Define standards for team creation, lifecycle, ownership, and guest access.
Partner with Security and Risk teams to ensure compliance with corporate policies.
Develop operational dashboards and reporting for Teams adoption and utilization.

Power Platform Governance

Establish governance strategy for:
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
Define Dev, Test, and Production Environment Standards.
Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies.
Govern custom connectors, gateways, and application ownership.
Review and approve platform architecture for business-critical solutions.
Management of storage consumption

Automation & Innovation

Identify opportunities to automate manual operational processes.
Design solutions using:
- Power Automate
- Azure Functions
- Logic Apps
- Custom APIs and integrations
Partner with engineering and operations teams to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
Develop reusable operational frameworks and automation patterns.

Reporting & Analytics

Develop executive dashboards and operational reporting.
Monitor collaboration platform health, adoption, utilization, and governance metrics.
Use data and analytics to drive informed decision-making.
Provide leadership reporting on platform usage, compliance, storage consumption, and operational effectiveness.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

Partner with internal business leaders and technology teams.
Collaborate with external vendors and managed service providers.
Drive accountability for service delivery and operational improvements.
Participate in strategic planning and budgeting discussions.

Security & Compliance

Ensure collaboration platforms comply with:
- Corporate security standards
- Data governance requirements
- Regulatory requirements
- Records management policies
Partner with Identity, Security, and Risk teams to implement security controls.
Support audits and compliance reviews.

Required Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or related discipline.
Equivalent experience considered.

Experience

8+ years of Microsoft platform architecture experience.
5+ years administering and architecting Microsoft 365 collaboration solutions.
Experience supporting large enterprise environments (10,000+ users preferred).
Experience leading enterprise-wide governance initiatives.
Experience working within complex global organizations.

Technical Skills

Required

SharePoint Online
Microsoft Teams
OneDrive for Business
Microsoft 365 Administration
Power Apps
Power Automate
Power BI
Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Purview
Azure
PowerShell
Microsoft Graph API

Preferred

Azure Functions
Logic Apps
ShareGate
Viva Suite
ServiceNow Integration
Data Governance Technologies

Leadership Competencies

Strategic thinking
Solution architecture and design
Executive communication
Vendor management
Stakeholder engagement
Problem solving
Data-driven decision making
Continuous improvement mindset
Ability to influence without direct authority

Success Measures

The successful candidate will:

Improve governance across Microsoft 365 collaboration platforms.
Reduce collaboration platform risks and operational inefficiencies.
Drive adoption of automation and self-service capabilities.
Optimize collaboration storage and licensing costs.
Deliver successful M&A and divestiture collaboration initiatives.
Improve reporting, compliance visibility, and operational maturity.

Serve as a trusted advisor for collaboration technologies across the enterprise.

Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.
The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications.
The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role.
The compensation for the position is: $ 124,780.00 - $146,800.00Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email Accommodations@cushwake.com. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”

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