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About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Exchange / Microsoft 365 / Messaging Architect to lead a major technology transformation program. This role involves owning the messaging architecture and migration strategy, designing a secure, resilient, and supportable messaging environment within Microsoft 365, and managing the transition from existing platforms.

Responsibilities

Own the messaging architecture and provide technical leadership across the transformation lifecycle.
Assess the current Exchange and Microsoft 365 estate, including configuration, tenants, domains, mail flow, recipients, dependencies, integrations, and operational arrangements.
Identify architectural constraints, technical debt, risks, and dependencies affecting the transformation.
Define coexistence and target-state messaging architectures across relevant Microsoft 365 tenants, existing Exchange environments, and retained services.
Establish architectural principles and standards for messaging migration and modernization.
Design secure and resilient mail-routing architectures across existing and target environments.
Define accepted-domain strategies and address dependencies associated with domain ownership, DNS, and mail routing.
Design DNS, MX, Autodiscover, and service-discovery arrangements for coexistence and migration.
Define address-list, Global Address List, and recipient-visibility strategies for the target environment.
Design calendar interoperability, free/busy, and scheduling arrangements during the transition.
Develop migration patterns for user, shared, resource, and service mailboxes, as well as distribution groups, contacts, and other messaging objects.
Define appropriate approaches for different mailbox and messaging-object types.
Establish migration sequencing, including discovery, readiness assessment, pilots, production waves, testing, cutover, and post-migration support.
Define technical entry and exit criteria for messaging migration waves.
Design and assure mail-flow continuity throughout migration, including internal, external, and cross-environment routing.
Define controls for transport rules, connectors, email security, and delegated access.
Ensure messaging architecture aligns with organizational requirements for retention, compliance, eDiscovery, journalling, and information governance.
Work with security specialists to define appropriate controls using capabilities such as Microsoft Defender for Office 365.
Assess dependencies between messaging and identity synchronisation, applications, SMTP relay, collaboration services, mobile access, and endpoint technologies.
Work with application teams to understand and resolve dependencies where applications send or receive email.
Define patterns for SMTP relay and application-to-mail integrations, ensuring they are secure, supportable, and aligned with the target architecture.
Coordinate with identity, collaboration, application, network, security, EUC, service-transition, and change teams to ensure messaging dependencies are managed.
Review technical designs and migration approaches from engineering and delivery teams, providing architectural assurance.
Support the development of detailed migration and implementation plans while retaining ownership of the overall messaging architecture.
Define rollback and recovery approaches for messaging migrations and ensure contingency arrangements are considered.
Support cutover decision-making and provide technical assurance during major migration events.
Provide architectural guidance during early-life support and help resolve complex issues across messaging, identity, DNS, application, or client boundaries.
Produce and maintain HLDs, LLDs, architecture diagrams, migration patterns, technical standards, decision records, and design documentation.
Ensure architectural decisions, assumptions, dependencies, and risks are clearly documented and communicated.

Requirements

Extensive architecture experience across Exchange Online, Microsoft 365, and enterprise messaging environments.
Proven experience designing hybrid and/or multi-tenant messaging architectures.
Strong experience delivering tenant-to-tenant mailbox migrations and complex coexistence arrangements.
Expert knowledge of mail routing, connectors, accepted domains, transport rules, and recipient management.
Strong understanding of DNS, MX records, Autodiscover, and messaging-related service discovery.
Experience designing address-list, calendar, free/busy, and collaboration arrangements across multiple environments.
Proven experience defining migration strategies for user, shared, resource, and service mailboxes.
Strong knowledge of email security, including Microsoft Defender for Office 365.
Good understanding of retention, eDiscovery, journalling, compliance, and information-governance requirements.
Strong understanding of identity synchronisation and the relationship between identity architecture and messaging.
Experience designing and troubleshooting SMTP relay and application-to-email integrations.
Experience working with Microsoft and third-party messaging migration tooling.
Strong understanding of client and end-user considerations, including Outlook, mobile access, and user experience during migration.
Experience designing migration sequencing, pilot approaches, testing, cutover, and rollback strategies.
Strong architecture documentation skills, including HLDs, LLDs, diagrams, technical standards, and architecture decision records.
Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills across messaging, DNS, identity, applications, and client technologies.
Experience working with third-party suppliers and technical delivery partners.
Strong stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical decisions clearly.
Senior technical architect who combines deep messaging expertise with strong architectural judgment.
Ability to assess a complex existing environment, identify important dependencies, and design a realistic route from the current state to the target Microsoft 365 architecture.
Confidence challenging assumptions and proposed migration approaches where they introduce unnecessary risk to mail flow, security, data integrity, or user experience.
Ability to balance technical excellence, migration risk, operational practicality, and user experience.

Skills

Exchange Online
Microsoft 365
Messaging Architecture
Migration Strategy
Enterprise Architecture
Hybrid Architectures
Multi-tenant Architectures
Tenant-to-tenant Migrations
Coexistence Arrangements
Mail Routing
Connectors
Accepted Domains
Transport Rules
Recipient Management
DNS
MX Records
Autodiscover
Service Discovery
Address Lists
Calendars
Free/Busy
Collaboration
User Mailboxes
Shared Mailboxes
Resource Mailboxes
Service Mailboxes
Distribution Groups
Contacts
Email Security
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Retention
eDiscovery
Journalling
Compliance
Information Governance
Identity Synchronisation
SMTP Relay
Application-to-email Integrations
Microsoft Messaging Migration Tooling
Third-party Messaging Migration Tooling
Outlook
Mobile Access
User Experience
Migration Sequencing
Pilot Approaches
Testing
Cutover Strategies
Rollback Strategies
HLDs
LLDs
Architecture Diagrams
Technical Standards
Architecture Decision Records
Troubleshooting
Analytical Skills
Stakeholder Management
Influencing Skills
Communication Skills

Location

London

Work Type

Onsite (initially)
Hybrid (50/50)

Experience Level

Experienced
Senior

Benefits

Autonomy to develop and grow skills and experience
Opportunity to be part of exciting project work making a difference in society
Strong, inspiring, and thought-provoking leadership
Supportive and collaborative environment
Development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, management development programme, and training
Wellness support through a 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme
Flexible working options including home working and part time
Social events including office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, and Thirsty Thursdays
Commitment to charitable causes
25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
Option to buy 5 extra days of annual leave each year
2 paid days per year to volunteer
Salary Exchange Scheme pension with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution
Life Assurance of 4 times base salary
Non-contributory Private Medical Insurance (spouse and dependants included)
Non-contributory Worldwide Travel Insurance (spouse and dependants included)
Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
Season ticket loan
Cycle to work scheme

About the Company

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy that has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the public sector in the UK.
Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, Methods applies skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.
Methods' human touch sets it apart, with people, technology, and data at the heart of its operations, focusing on creating value and sustainability for clients, staff, communities, and the planet.
The company supports clients in project success through collaborative skill-sharing and problem-solving, fostering a fun yet hardworking environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.
Predominantly focused on the public sector, Methods is expanding its private sector client portfolio.
Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.