M365 Architect - Exchange/Messaging

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Exchange / Microsoft 365 / Messaging Architect to join a major technology transformation programme and take ownership of the messaging architecture and migration strategy.

This is a key architecture role responsible for designing a secure, resilient and supportable messaging environment while enabling users and services to transition from existing platforms and configurations into the target Microsoft 365 environment.

You will assess the existing Exchange and Microsoft 365 estate, understand the complexities of domains, mail flow, recipients, security controls and application integrations, and develop a practical architecture that supports both coexistence and eventual transition to the target state.

A significant part of the role will involve designing how messaging services operate during the transition period. This will include mail routing, accepted domains, DNS, Autodiscover, recipient management, calendars, free/busy, shared and resource mailboxes and application-relay dependencies.

You will also define the migration patterns and sequencing required to move users and messaging objects safely, ensuring that mail flow, data integrity, security, compliance and the end-user experience are protected throughout the programme.

The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise in Exchange Online and Microsoft 365 with strong enterprise architecture, migration and stakeholder-management skills.

What you will do

As the Exchange / Microsoft 365 / Messaging Architect, you will own the messaging architecture and provide technical leadership across the transformation lifecycle.

You will:

• Assess the current Exchange and Microsoft 365 estate, including configuration, tenants, domains, mail flow, recipients, dependencies, integrations and existing operational arrangements.
• Identify architectural constraints, technical debt, risks and dependencies that could affect 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 modernisation.
• 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 required to support coexistence and migration.
• Define address-list, Global Address List and recipient-visibility strategies appropriate to 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, recognising that not all services will have the same migration requirements.
• 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 organisational 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 properly managed.
• Review technical designs and migration approaches produced by 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 appropriate 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 that cross messaging, identity, DNS, application or client boundaries.
• Produce and maintain HLDs, LLDs, architecture diagrams, migration patterns, technical standards, decision records and design documentation.
• Ensure that architectural decisions, assumptions, dependencies and risks are clearly documented and communicated.

Requirements

Skills and experience required

We are looking for an experienced Messaging Architect with deep technical knowledge of Exchange Online and Microsoft 365.

You will ideally have:

• 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.

What we are looking for in you

You will be a senior technical architect who combines deep messaging expertise with strong architectural judgement.

You will be comfortable getting into the technical detail when required, but your primary focus will be understanding the wider architecture and ensuring that individual technical decisions support the programme's overall objectives.

You will be able to assess a complex existing environment, identify the important dependencies and design a realistic route from the current state to the target Microsoft 365 architecture.

You will understand that coexistence is often unavoidable during a large transformation and will be able to design it properly rather than relying on temporary or unsupported workarounds.

You will also be confident challenging assumptions and proposed migration approaches where they introduce unnecessary risk to mail flow, security, data integrity or user experience.

Strong communication skills will be essential. You will work with architects, engineers, security specialists, application teams, programme managers, suppliers and senior stakeholders and will need to explain complex messaging decisions in clear and practical terms.

Most importantly, you will be someone who can balance technical excellence, migration risk, operational practicality and user experience.

Location : London initially onsite and then 50/50 hybrid

Benefits

Methods is passionate about its people; we want our colleagues to develop the things they are good at and enjoy.

By joining us you can expect:

·        Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience

·        Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society

·        Strong, inspiring, and thought-provoking leadership

·        A supportive and collaborative environment

As well as this we offer:

Development – access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme, and training

Wellness – 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme

Flexible Working – including home working and part time

Social – office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and commitment to charitable causes

Time Off – 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 extra days each year

Volunteering – 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation

Pension – Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution

Life Assurance – of 4 times base salary

Private Medical Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

Worldwide Travel Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay

Travel – season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme

For a full list of benefits please visit our website (www.methods.co.uk/careers/benefits)