IT Director - Microsoft 365 Services

What You Can Expect In This Role

The IT Director – Microsoft 365 Services is responsible for the strategic leadership, governance, architecture, security, and operational excellence of the organization’s Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This role oversees the design, implementation, optimization, and compliance management of M365 platforms including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, One Drive, Teams, Power Platform, Purview, and related security and compliance services.

The Director ensures Microsoft 365 capabilities are secure, well-governed, cost-effective, and aligned with enterprise productivity, collaboration, regulatory, and digital transformation objectives. This position partners closely with Security, Compliance, Infrastructure, Enterprise Architecture, and Business Leaders to maximize value and manage risk across the M365 environment.

• Develop and execute the enterprise Microsoft 365 strategy and roadmap.
• Align M365 capabilities with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and digital workplace initiatives.
• Serve as the executive owner for Microsoft 365 platform lifecycle management.
• Evaluate emerging Microsoft technologies and assess business applicability.

• Establish governance frameworks for Teams, SharePoint, One Drive, and Power Platform.
• Oversee data retention, information protection, eDiscovery, and compliance policies (Purview).
• Ensure alignment with regulatory requirements (e.g., financial services compliance standards).
• Define standards for provisioning, naming conventions, access control, and lifecycle management.

• Partner with Information Security to implement and maintain:
  • Conditional Access policies
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  • Insider risk management
  • Secure collaboration controls
• Oversee secure configuration baselines and continuous risk monitoring.

• Lead administration and operational support for:
  • Exchange Online
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SharePoint Online
  • One Drive
  • Power Platform
• Ensure high availability, performance optimization, and service reliability.
• Establish SLAs, KPIs, and operational dashboards.
• Manage incident response and platform-related escalations.

• Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture on integration with:
  • Azure infrastructure
  • On-prem systems
  • Third‑party SaaS platforms
• Ensure scalable design and long‑term sustainability of M365 services.

• Oversee licensing strategy and cost optimization.
• Manage Microsoft relationships and strategic partners.
• Develop and manage annual budgets for M365 services and products used within the M365 ecosystem.

• Build and lead a high‑performing M365 engineering and operations team.
• Define roles, responsibilities, and succession planning.
• Promote automation, process improvement, and operational maturity.
• Drive adoption and enablement strategies across the enterprise.

• Bachelor's Degree in a field relevant to the role (preferred)
• 8+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with 2+ years managing Microsoft 365 in an enterprise environment (preferred)
• Deep expertise in:
  • Microsoft security, compliance and governance practices
  • Understanding Microsoft licensing and contract models
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity, identity, and data governance principles.
• Experience with hybrid environments (on‑prem + cloud).
• Experience managing and/or implementing the following M365 solutions:
  • Exchange Online
  • Teams & Share Point
  • Entra  (Azure AD)
  • Power Platform
  • Tenant Architecture
• ITIL or similar service management framework experience.
• Experience operating in a regulated industry (e.g., financial services, insurance, healthcare).

• Due to the financial nature and level of accountability of this position, a credit and criminal background check is required - The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires Sammons Financial Group Companies to notify you that, as a routine part of processing this application for employment, Sammons Financial Group may request a consumer report on you to verify all information contained in this application.
  
  Such report may include…