Microsoft Workplace Senior Architecture Lead

Location

Paris, Hybrid

Duration

6 months +

Context

Under Group CIO, the Group Technology Office defines and leads the technology vision and strategy of the Group so that the IT platform enables innovation & growth while ensuring the quality of service, aligned to business-driven priorities.

In this department, the Workplace and IAM Architecture team has this mandate on the scope of Workplace and IAM technologies.

The Workplace Senior Architecture Lead Expert will be owning the transversal subjects which are related to the Workplace domain scope mainly, with some required involvement on topics related to IAM domain as well (like the User identifies & provisioning process within Workplace services, access rights, authentication & authorization mechanisms to access available resources via Workplace, etc.)

Services

Working as part the Group’s Technology Office, the Workplace Senior Architecture Lead Expert, is responsible for providing architecture, vision, the path to transform, the governance with a problem anticipation and solving approach on an architectural level within its domain of exercice.

The creation and continuous update of this vision & transformation path, are done in close collaboration with respective product teams. This will include the definition and management of technology strategy, technical choices and high level architectures of Workplace and integration parts with technical solutions starting with IAM, as well as security and network domains.

His/her domain of exercise is:

• Workplace collaboration, Enterprise (Devices & Applications) management, Application delivery, UX/QoS monitoring, …

• Identity and Access Management impacting the Workplace Ecosystem (like the User identifies & on/off-boarding & provisioning process within Workplace services, access rights, authentication & authorization mechanisms to access available resources via Workplace, etc.)

• Overall route management,

• Dependencies with Security (Proxy) & Network standards & services (VPN/ZTNA) underlying to WP and IAM

Mission

First and foremost in a collaborative approach leveraging sponsors, stakeholders and communities (product, Security, entities CTOs & IT teams, Security, Market providers, …) the Workplace Senior Architecture Lead Expert supports the overall and per component technology choices in his/her domain.

In this scope, He/She also manages and coordinates, for his areas of responsibility, the work carried out by the other Architects cross-domains and Chief Architects / Chief Technology Officers in close collaboration with IT departments for the global assets, with Group Security for the Security part, and with Business Partnership and the Markets/Entities for the entities related part.

Besides, He/She will contribute significantly during the first phase of gating process (Gate0 ideation, Gate1 Prelimiary Assessment and progressively less until the Gate2 Building Permit).

The Workplace Senior Architecture Lead Expert role is to steer the Architecture evolution across the organization to ensure the proper implementation of the IT Strategy and to be able to adopt new technologies and new market solutions in line with the business priorities, the foundations of the products structure and with the aim support the client to become a Tech Led Company.

Profile

The individual in this position understands the Group business strategy, the Information Systems (IS) of the Group and anticipates future directions of the IT industry to relate them to future business needs and initiatives. The Senior Architecture Lead Expert produces key architecture deliverables, leads international workgroups and studies to establish IT directions for the Group and is responsible for the architecture review of projects related to technologies in his domain of responsibility.

Activities

The core activities of the Architect Expert (Solution Architect) include the following for his own area of responsibility:

• Vision and Strategy

o Support & contribute to the definition and management of the company Technology vision, strategies and plans with focus on domains related to his role (writing deliverables explaining it, executive notes, evangelization deck, decision making support deck, Defining Products’ Strategy in collaboration with the Products Teams, Define & owning the WP domain’s Group Target Architecture artefacts – GAR –)

• Contribute to Technology/Architecture CTO Community and Technology Governance of the Group:

o To cover global and local dimensions, which includes ensuring design and solution choices made in the entities are conform to Group Strategy in order to secure Group interests over the long-term (Architecture boards…)

o To share technological visions, opportunities, and risks company-wide, and in particular interact with senior business and IT executives

o To facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing between technical experts

• Understanding entities context & group standards & instructions

o Entities Requirements (business, functional, security, regulations …)

o Products Operational context & implementations designs (any constraints to be aware of…)

• Defines design patterns:

o Determines WP infrastructure designs/evolutions required jointly with Product Experts teams. This includes the delivery of product blueprints, High-Level Designs and contribution to Low-Level Designs

o Minimizes technical complexity and identifies convergence opportunities

• Manages and contributes to Product Governance & Architecture Community

o Contributes to product governance bodies for architecture related matters

o Ensures the coordination between product governance bodies and Architecture dedicated governance bodies

o Organizes, governs and animates Architecture gevernance bodies

o Supports Products Technology governance for Architecture related matters

o Particpates to Products and Community meetings and events

o Provides feedback on community structure, tools and content to help on continuous improvement

• Market Watch:

o Monitor market trends

o Maintain relationship with key vendors in order to use and/or influence technology evolutions

o In particular, study industry trends and technologies in close collaboration with Group Data & Technology Innovation

o Manage evaluation, development, and deployment of relevant technologies (technology lifecycle & roadmaps)

• Provide support to all Group IT supporting functions, in particular for Procurement and Finance for large negotiations or assets.

Technical skills

– IT architecture and IT strategy in the Workplace ecosystem, capabilities mainly on:

o M365 Collaboration & Productivity (incl. Power Platform services) & Meeting Room Experience, including dependency with the tenancy management, M365 Apps and Entra ID scope

o Device & Application Unified Enterprise Systems Management (Intune, Jamf, SCCM, …)

o Workplace Endpoints Ecosystems (Mobile, Physical, Virtual, BYOD)

o Workplace Endpoints Management (incl. Security management and monitoring capabilities)

o The underlying cloud computing, security and user connectivity capabilities

– Workplace UX/QoS monitoring

– Identity and Access Management capabilities around Workplace: Users & Devices objects management, Provisioning mechanisms, Use of Directories and Repositories (Global and Local), Authentication flows, Conditions based access control approach for users and devices, Privilede Access Management Integration use-cases, with proven experience

– Interactions between Azure hosting & MS 365 platforms & ecosystems (incl. Data Science & Engineering capabilities

– Security standards and services underlying to Workplace and driving architectural choices

Softskills:

The person will have to navigate with the complexity of a global team operating in a decentralized organisation. Success can be achieved through:

– Openness to different opinions and creation of consensus – Strong human relationship skills, exhibit curiosity and can see opportunities in situations, not just problems.

– Communication skills – Exhibits strong skills in listening, spoken and written communication, collaboration and the ability to work in a global team. Architect Experts are expected to have the ability to understand and discuss with both senior managers and IT and explain in clear language complicated architectural concepts and strategies.

– Owning topics & Acting as a leader in collaboration and generating attractive and effective ways of working

– Agility to constantly address new topics and new stakeholders

– Embracing a change leading mindset to promote the modernization against tradition & legacy

– Ability to execute evolution of the enterprise architecture through strategic thinking, in addition to possessing strong business, technical, and financial acumen

– Vision – demonstrates architectural vision awareness and convictions and is able to express them clearly, champion them, and debate his point of view in on-line forums or in-person workshops.

– Willingness to serve the overall objective of enterprise-wide consistency above any tactical goal

– Strong skills in influence, consultation, and negotiating ability.

– Problem solving orientation and strong analytical, logical and interpretive ability to interpret scenarios, express concepts or models with several dimensions: architecture, business value, procurement, program approach …

– Tenacity and endurance for dealing with ambiguity between management, OpCos and Operational teams

– Has a deep understanding of the organizational structures, in order to be in a position to better identify improvement points

– International profile – A proven ability to work effectively in an international environment. In addition, exhibits a strong proficiency in English.