Microsoft 365 Platform Administrator

Vanguard; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Wellness programs

Continuous learning opportunities

Job summary

Vanguard is seeking a Microsoft 365 Platform Administrator in Charlotte, NC to provide technical leadership in managing enterprise collaboration services like Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive. The successful candidate will design architecture, ensure compliance, and optimize operations in a secure environment.

This role requires strong troubleshooting skills, extensive experience in Microsoft 365, and the ability to collaborate across teams. Compensation includes competitive benefits and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in enterprise IT, with 5+ years on Microsoft 365.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft 365 services.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across networking, identity, and cloud.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain enterprise architecture for Microsoft 365.
• Implement security configurations and governance policies.
• Spearhead end-to-end implementation projects.

Skills

Microsoft 365 security

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Collaboration

Scripting (PowerShell, Python)

Education

Undergraduate degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft 365 suite

Azure AD

PowerBI

PowerPlatform

Job description

We are seeking a Microsoft 365 Platform Administrator to provide technical leadership in the design, implementation, and support of enterprise collaboration and communication services across the Microsoft Office 365 ecosystem. In this strategic engineering and senior architecture role, you will shape the future of our platform services (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Office365 and related services) in a secure, high-performance regulated environment. You will partner closely with security, networking, identity, and end-user computing teams to drive consistent, reliable patterns, ensure compliance and resiliency, and guide stakeholders toward decisions that improve user experience and operational maturity.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and maintain enterprise architecture for Microsoft 365 and unified communications services (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Office365, and other MSFT platforms) and adjacent tools such as PowerBI, PowerPlatform, and Viva.
• Lead modernization initiatives and define future‑state roadmaps aligned with business goals.
• Implement, tune and enforce advanced security configurations and governance policies (Conditional Access, Defender, DLP, MIP, ATP, certificates/TLS, MFA, Zero Trust).
• Implement ALZ (Azure Landing Zone) based Conditional Access & Defender policies that activate during crises and high‑risk situations, balancing productivity and protection based upon our internal ticket backlog patterns.
• Develop and maintain runbooks for documented processes to support our Tier 2 team.
• Create scripting (PowerShell, Python, Graph API, etc.) and automation processes to streamline repetitive tasks.
• Spearhead end‑to‑end implementation projects: requirements gathering, solution design, pilot planning, production rollout, post‑mortem reviews and operational handoff.
• Troubleshoot complex issues spanning endpoints, identity, network, cloud services, collaboration apps and tenant integrations; restore service quickly and prevent recurrence; lead root‑cause analysis.
• Collaborate with InfoSec, network, NOC, and end‑user computing teams to ensure designs align with security standards and operational requirements (firewall rules, QoS, identity, logging/monitoring, compliance).
• Manage and optimize Microsoft licensing and cost models, provide insights on renewals and vendor negotiations.
• Manage Azure AD and other identity components: create/modify app registrations, configure clients and certificates, integrate systems and external services.
• Monitor service health, telemetry and usage trends using Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Purview, Log Analytics and third‑party tools; define SLAs/KPIs and execute reliability, performance, and user‑experience improvement plans.
• Serve as a final escalation point for complex issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge base.
• Communicate clearly with technical and non‑technical stakeholders during outages and change windows.
• Evaluate vendor capabilities, emerging Microsoft technologies and roadmaps, proof‑of‑concepts, and recommend features for adoption; represent platform in architecture boards and steering committees.
• Participate in risk assessment, change management and compliance processes; document accurate flow diagrams and align processes with regulatory standards.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years related work experience.
• Undergraduate degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of training and experience.
• 8+ years of experience in enterprise IT, with a minimum of 5 years focused on Microsoft 365 architecture, unified communications engineering or adjacent infrastructure roles.
• Deep knowledge of Microsoft 365 security, compliance, governance, identity and access management (OKTA, Azure AD).
• Hands‑on experience administering and troubleshooting Microsoft 365 suite (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Office365) and related services and integrations.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across multiple domains, including networking (DNS, routing, firewalls, VPNs, QoS), identity, endpoints and cloud services.
• Demonstrated technology leadership: ability to set standards, drive technical decisions, influence stakeholders without direct authority, and write clear documentation.
• Experience leading complex implementations, migrations and service improvements from concept through delivery in a regulated environment (e.g. finance, healthcare, government).
• Excellent communication, collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Attributes

• Microsoft certifications (MS-101, MS-500, AZ-305, SC-300) preferred.
• Strategic thinker with passion for innovation, continuous improvement and digital transformation.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence diverse teams.
• Proficiency in scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python, Graph API); experience modernizing manual deployments to GitHub and IaC pipelines.
• Experience in regulated industries and financial products supporting mission‑critical communications services.
• Familiarity with DLP tools like Digital Guardian, advanced telemetry collection tactics, and real‑time monitoring strategies.
• Experience with zero trust architectures, conditional access policies and Identity governance best practices.

Why Join Us

Contribute to mission‑critical communications services and a modern Microsoft 365 platform that uphold the integrity of our operations and foster client trust. Work on projects that matter, protecting enterprise data, defining security structures, creating and building integrations, and shaping the future of our workplace. Join a collaborative and empowered team that values reliability, security, thoughtful engineering and your professional growth. Enjoy competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits including robust health coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, wellness programs and continuous learning opportunities.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.