Microsoft 365 Solution Architect
Top Benefits
About the role
ABOUT GOWLING WLG At Gowling WLG, our commitment to excellence begins with our people. As an international law firm with offices in Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, we’re proud to recruit and retain top talent who bring energy, insight, and a singular focus on delivering exceptional experiences – for our clients and each other.
We’re intentional about building a workplace that’s both high-performing and supportive, ensuring that everyone is empowered to do their best work and reach their full potential. Our culture is grounded in our shared values: Raise the Bar, Embrace Differences, and Thrive Together. These values shape how we collaborate, lead, and succeed – across teams, time zones, and career paths.
Whether you’re pursuing a role in law or business services, explore what’s possible and make your mark with Gowling WLG.
PROFILE We are looking for a Microsoft 365 (M365) Solution Architect with hands-on and product-savvy experience across SharePoint, Teams, Exchange/Outlook, OneDrive, Entra ID, Intune, Purview/Compliance, Defender for Office 365, and Copilot for Microsoft 365. You will architect, design, and land modern workplace solutions, shaping information architecture, collaboration, security, and compliance at scale. You’ll own tenant-level architecture, information architecture, and adoption—turning business needs into secure, scalable M365 solutions.
This position can be based in any of our Canadian offices!
RESPONSIBILITIES Architecture & Roadmap
- Own the M365 tenant architecture: collaboration, content services, identity, device, security, and compliance layers.
- Produce an M365 roadmap (licensing/E3→E5 value, Copilot readiness, Teams Phone/Rooms, Viva, SharePoint Premium/Syntex, Loop, Search).
- Define information architecture (site taxonomy, content types, metadata, records/retention) and search experiences.
Identity & Access (Entra ID)
- Design Zero Trust access: Conditional Access, MFA, device compliance, network/location controls, and PIM for privileged roles.
- Govern app registrations, consent, service principals, and B2B/B2C/external collaboration.
Collaboration & Content Services
- Architect SharePoint Online (hub/site design, provisioning patterns, PnP templates, search, records management).
- Design Teams topologies (org-wide/project teams, guest access, lifecycle/archival, information barriers) and integrate with line-of-business systems.
- Guide Exchange Online configurations (hybrid where needed, transport rules, anti-spam/anti-phish, mail routing).
- Lead content migrations (file shares/legacy DMS/Google/Box/Exchange) with governance and change management.
Security, Compliance & Risk
- Implement Purview policies: sensitivity labels, DLP, retention/records, eDiscovery (Standard/Premium), Audit (Standard/Premium), insider risk.
- Establish Defender for Office 365 protections (Safe Links/Attachments, anti-phish, attack simulation) and tune policies to reduce risk without breaking work.
- Partner with Security/Legal for regulatory needs (e.g., ISO 27001/SOC, privacy) and provide controls with artifacts and audit trails.
Device & App Management (Intune)
- Design MDM/MAM baselines, compliance policies, configuration profiles, Windows Autopilot, app protection for BYOD, and update rings.
- Integrate identity, device, and compliance signals into Conditional Access; standardize macOS/iOS/Android/Windows management.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 Readiness
- Define permissions (least privilege, group cleanup), label/DLP baselines, and Graph connectors where appropriate.
- Pilot Copilot scenarios, adoption plans, prompts/playbooks, and measurement (productivity/quality KPIs).
Governance, Operations & Adoption
- Define governance: site/team provisioning, naming, lifecycle, external sharing, role-based access, records policies, and chargeback/FinOps.
- Run change management: Message Center hygiene, feature flighting, comms/training, usage analytics, and service health runbooks.
- Create architecture docs, diagrams, SOPs/runbooks; mentor admins/engineers and guide partner/vendors.
QUALIFICATIONS Required
- 5–8+ years architecting and operating Microsoft 365 at enterprise scale.
- Deep expertise in SharePoint Online, Teams, Exchange Online, OneDrive, and tenant-level patterns.
- Strong command of Entra ID (CA, MFA, PIM, app consent, B2B/external).
- Hands-on with Purview (labels/DLP/retention/eDiscovery) and Defender for Office 365 tuning.
- Practical Intune experience (MDM/MAM, compliance, Autopilot, app deployment).
- Proven delivery of migrations (content/mail) and secure external collaboration.
- Proficiency with PowerShell (PnP, Graph/Entra, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams) and admin centers.
- Excellent stakeholder management, documentation, and adoption/change management skills.
Preferred
- Experience with Azure services (Logic Apps, Functions, Service Bus, etc) for advanced integration.
- Relevant Microsoft certifications
Benefits/Perks Gowling WLG’s total rewards program is designed to foster a culture where high performance and personal well-being go hand-in-hand. We support your career and life with:
- 100% employer-paid health, dental, and mental health coverage, plus an annual lifestyle spending allowance
- Benefits coverage for Firm members and their dependents from day one!
- 15+ vacation days and hybrid work flexibility
- Parental leave top-up for 26 weeks (after 12 months of full-time employment)
- Group Retirement Savings Plan with employer match
- Financial protection through short & long-term disability, life, accident & critical illness insurance
- Employee & Family Assistance Program, guided CBT, and an internal network of 120+ trained Mental Health First Aid responders
- Recognition awards, appreciation events, and a supportive, collaborative work culture
- Perks and preferred pricing programs, referral bonuses and more
The starting range for this role is $110,000 to $140,000. Starting salary will be determined based on an applicant’s individual skills, competencies and unique qualifications. Gowling WLG employees have the potential to exceed this range based on tenure and performance.
Gowling WLG is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you are in need of accommodation or support at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know.
About Gowling WLG
Microsoft 365 Solution Architect
Top Benefits
About the role
ABOUT GOWLING WLG At Gowling WLG, our commitment to excellence begins with our people. As an international law firm with offices in Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, we’re proud to recruit and retain top talent who bring energy, insight, and a singular focus on delivering exceptional experiences – for our clients and each other.
We’re intentional about building a workplace that’s both high-performing and supportive, ensuring that everyone is empowered to do their best work and reach their full potential. Our culture is grounded in our shared values: Raise the Bar, Embrace Differences, and Thrive Together. These values shape how we collaborate, lead, and succeed – across teams, time zones, and career paths.
Whether you’re pursuing a role in law or business services, explore what’s possible and make your mark with Gowling WLG.
PROFILE We are looking for a Microsoft 365 (M365) Solution Architect with hands-on and product-savvy experience across SharePoint, Teams, Exchange/Outlook, OneDrive, Entra ID, Intune, Purview/Compliance, Defender for Office 365, and Copilot for Microsoft 365. You will architect, design, and land modern workplace solutions, shaping information architecture, collaboration, security, and compliance at scale. You’ll own tenant-level architecture, information architecture, and adoption—turning business needs into secure, scalable M365 solutions.
This position can be based in any of our Canadian offices!
RESPONSIBILITIES Architecture & Roadmap
- Own the M365 tenant architecture: collaboration, content services, identity, device, security, and compliance layers.
- Produce an M365 roadmap (licensing/E3→E5 value, Copilot readiness, Teams Phone/Rooms, Viva, SharePoint Premium/Syntex, Loop, Search).
- Define information architecture (site taxonomy, content types, metadata, records/retention) and search experiences.
Identity & Access (Entra ID)
- Design Zero Trust access: Conditional Access, MFA, device compliance, network/location controls, and PIM for privileged roles.
- Govern app registrations, consent, service principals, and B2B/B2C/external collaboration.
Collaboration & Content Services
- Architect SharePoint Online (hub/site design, provisioning patterns, PnP templates, search, records management).
- Design Teams topologies (org-wide/project teams, guest access, lifecycle/archival, information barriers) and integrate with line-of-business systems.
- Guide Exchange Online configurations (hybrid where needed, transport rules, anti-spam/anti-phish, mail routing).
- Lead content migrations (file shares/legacy DMS/Google/Box/Exchange) with governance and change management.
Security, Compliance & Risk
- Implement Purview policies: sensitivity labels, DLP, retention/records, eDiscovery (Standard/Premium), Audit (Standard/Premium), insider risk.
- Establish Defender for Office 365 protections (Safe Links/Attachments, anti-phish, attack simulation) and tune policies to reduce risk without breaking work.
- Partner with Security/Legal for regulatory needs (e.g., ISO 27001/SOC, privacy) and provide controls with artifacts and audit trails.
Device & App Management (Intune)
- Design MDM/MAM baselines, compliance policies, configuration profiles, Windows Autopilot, app protection for BYOD, and update rings.
- Integrate identity, device, and compliance signals into Conditional Access; standardize macOS/iOS/Android/Windows management.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 Readiness
- Define permissions (least privilege, group cleanup), label/DLP baselines, and Graph connectors where appropriate.
- Pilot Copilot scenarios, adoption plans, prompts/playbooks, and measurement (productivity/quality KPIs).
Governance, Operations & Adoption
- Define governance: site/team provisioning, naming, lifecycle, external sharing, role-based access, records policies, and chargeback/FinOps.
- Run change management: Message Center hygiene, feature flighting, comms/training, usage analytics, and service health runbooks.
- Create architecture docs, diagrams, SOPs/runbooks; mentor admins/engineers and guide partner/vendors.
QUALIFICATIONS Required
- 5–8+ years architecting and operating Microsoft 365 at enterprise scale.
- Deep expertise in SharePoint Online, Teams, Exchange Online, OneDrive, and tenant-level patterns.
- Strong command of Entra ID (CA, MFA, PIM, app consent, B2B/external).
- Hands-on with Purview (labels/DLP/retention/eDiscovery) and Defender for Office 365 tuning.
- Practical Intune experience (MDM/MAM, compliance, Autopilot, app deployment).
- Proven delivery of migrations (content/mail) and secure external collaboration.
- Proficiency with PowerShell (PnP, Graph/Entra, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams) and admin centers.
- Excellent stakeholder management, documentation, and adoption/change management skills.
Preferred
- Experience with Azure services (Logic Apps, Functions, Service Bus, etc) for advanced integration.
- Relevant Microsoft certifications
Benefits/Perks Gowling WLG’s total rewards program is designed to foster a culture where high performance and personal well-being go hand-in-hand. We support your career and life with:
- 100% employer-paid health, dental, and mental health coverage, plus an annual lifestyle spending allowance
- Benefits coverage for Firm members and their dependents from day one!
- 15+ vacation days and hybrid work flexibility
- Parental leave top-up for 26 weeks (after 12 months of full-time employment)
- Group Retirement Savings Plan with employer match
- Financial protection through short & long-term disability, life, accident & critical illness insurance
- Employee & Family Assistance Program, guided CBT, and an internal network of 120+ trained Mental Health First Aid responders
- Recognition awards, appreciation events, and a supportive, collaborative work culture
- Perks and preferred pricing programs, referral bonuses and more
The starting range for this role is $110,000 to $140,000. Starting salary will be determined based on an applicant’s individual skills, competencies and unique qualifications. Gowling WLG employees have the potential to exceed this range based on tenure and performance.
Gowling WLG is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you are in need of accommodation or support at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know.