Senior Manager - Modern Workplace (Microsoft 365)

IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™. Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.

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By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.

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Role summary

The Senior Manager – Microsoft 365 is accountable for the secure, compliant, cost-effective, and user-centric operation and continuous improvement of IFS’s Microsoft 365 collaboration and productivity platform. The role requires deep, hands-on Microsoft 365 knowledge (architecture, service capabilities and limits, tenant governance, and operational troubleshooting) and leads day-to-day service ownership across core workloads (e.g., Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint/OneDrive). It has a strong focus on Microsoft licensing governance and optimization, and on Microsoft Purview capabilities for information protection, data lifecycle/records management, eDiscovery, and compliance reporting. Working closely with Security, Data Governance, Procurement/Finance, and IT Operations, this leader ensures the platform is reliable and audit-ready while enabling business productivity at global scale.

Scope of responsibility

In scope

• Service ownership for Microsoft 365 collaboration and productivity workloads (tenant governance, configuration standards, lifecycle management, operational readiness).
• Microsoft Purview: information protection and labeling, data loss prevention (DLP), retention/records, eDiscovery (Standard/Premium as applicable), audit, communication compliance (where in use), and compliance reporting aligned to internal and regulatory requirements.
• Microsoft licensing governance and optimization across M365, Purview, and adjacent suites (e.g., Entra ID, Defender, Power Platform, Copilot where applicable): entitlement, assignment models, true-up/true-down support, and cost optimization.
• Roadmap and continuous improvement: evaluating Microsoft changes, retiring legacy configurations, and improving user experience and security posture.
• Operational governance: change management, incident/problem escalation oversight, service reporting, and vendor/Microsoft support engagement.

Out of scope (typical examples)

• Business ownership of content, documents, and information classification decisions (owned by data/domain owners), except where defined as part of the Purview operating model.
• Application-specific retention beyond Microsoft 365 and connected workloads (unless formally onboarded to Purview policies).
• Non-Microsoft data governance tooling administration (unless explicitly assigned).

Key responsibilities

Strategy, leadership, and stakeholder management

• Lead and coach a global team of engineers/analysts and/or vendors responsible for Microsoft 365 operations, ensuring clear priorities, runbooks, and measurable outcomes.
• Act as the senior escalation point for major incidents and high-risk changes related to Microsoft 365 and Purview.
• Partner with Information Security & Compliance, Data Governance, Legal, HR, Procurement, Finance, and key business stakeholders to align controls, policies, and platform capabilities.
• Own and communicate the Microsoft 365 service roadmap, risks, and decision points via regular governance forums and executive reporting.

Microsoft 365 platform and service ownership

• Ensure tenant governance and secure-by-default configurations across Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint/OneDrive and related services, aligned to internal standards and regulatory obligations.
• Establish and maintain service standards, configuration baselines, and operational documentation (service descriptions, runbooks, support models, and architecture decisions).
• Drive lifecycle management: feature adoption, deprecation of legacy settings, and proactive remediation based on Microsoft advisories and security posture improvements.
• Ensure operational excellence: SLA/OLA adherence, monitoring, capacity considerations, and service continuity planning (in coordination with backup/BCP owners).

Microsoft Purview (compliance, protection, and data lifecycle)

• Design and operate the Purview capability stack and operating model (roles, responsibilities, approval workflows) in partnership with Security, Legal, and Data Governance.
• Implement and continuously improve information protection and labeling standards, including sensitivity labels, encryption, label policies, and user guidance.
• Own DLP strategy and configuration for endpoints and M365 workloads, including tuning, exception handling, alert triage, and measurement of business impact.
• Own retention and records management design (retention labels/policies, disposition reviews, deletion/archival controls) aligned to legal and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate eDiscovery processes and readiness (Standard/Premium), including case workflows, holds, collections, and auditability; ensure clear hand-offs with Legal/HR.
• Provide compliance reporting and evidence support for audits (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC/SOX where applicable), including control mapping, dashboards, and traceable change history.

Microsoft licensing, commercial governance, and optimization

• Own the Microsoft 365 licensing operating model: license catalogue, assignment rules (group-based), access-to-license mapping, and governance for add-ons (e.g., Purview, Entra ID, Defender, Teams Phone, Copilot where applicable).
• Drive continuous license utilization analysis and optimization: reclaiming unused licenses, right-sizing SKU mix, reducing duplication, and ensuring compliant use aligned to Product Terms.
• Partner with Procurement/Finance to support renewals, true-up/true-down cycles, and negotiations by providing internal consumption analytics and scenarios.
• Establish and maintain transparent reporting on license consumption, forecast, cost drivers, and savings realized; communicate actions and decisions to stakeholders.
• Ensure audit readiness for vendor and internal licensing reviews, with evidence of entitlements, assignments, and governance controls.

Service management and delivery

• Own change governance for Microsoft 365 and Purview: change planning, risk assessment, stakeholder communications, and post-change validation.
• Manage service improvements through a structured backlog and quarterly planning, balancing security/compliance, user experience, and cost.
• Coordinate with Service Desk and other IT teams to ensure effective 1st/2nd/3rd line support, knowledge management, and consistent end-user communications.
• Maintain a strong relationship with Microsoft (and partners), ensuring timely escalations, service health monitoring, and alignment to the Microsoft roadmap.

Key interfaces

• Information Security & Compliance (policy, risk management, control assurance, incident response)
• Legal and HR (eDiscovery, investigations, employee communications, retention obligations)
• Data Governance / Data Owners (classification standards, stewardship, retention requirements)
• Procurement and Finance (commercial governance, renewals, forecasting, chargeback/showback if applicable)
• IT Service Desk and IT Operations (support model, incident/problem/change management)
• Architecture / Enterprise Platforms (integration patterns, identity, endpoint management, monitoring)
• Business stakeholders and champions (adoption, feedback, productivity outcomes)

Key deliverables and success measures

• Service reliability: availability and performance within agreed targets; reduction in recurring incidents through problem management.
• Security & compliance posture: measurable reduction in high-risk misconfigurations; timely remediation of Microsoft advisories; audit findings closed on time.
• Purview outcomes: label coverage and adoption, DLP signal quality (precision/recall via tuning), retention policy coverage for critical data sets, eDiscovery readiness tested.
• Licensing optimization: realized savings from reharvesting/right-sizing; improved forecast accuracy; documented licensing governance controls.
• User experience: improved self-service, reduced time-to-resolution, and improved satisfaction for collaboration services.
• Operational maturity: current documentation, runbooks, and a predictable change cadence with strong stakeholder communications.

Experience

• 7+ years in enterprise Microsoft 365 roles (engineering, service ownership, platform governance), including leading teams and/or managed service providers.
• Strong Microsoft 365 platform expertise, including administration and troubleshooting across Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint/OneDrive, and supporting capabilities (e.g., authentication flows, mail flow, Teams policies, SharePoint architecture, and service limits).
• Proven hands-on and operational experience with Microsoft Purview (Information Protection, DLP, retention/records, audit, and eDiscovery).
• Demonstrated competence in Microsoft licensing: SKU design, assignment governance, utilization analytics, and supporting renewals/negotiations.
• Experience operating services in a regulated environment with audit requirements (e.g., ISO 27001/SOC/SOX), producing evidence and control narratives.
• Strong IT service management experience (incident/problem/change), ideally in a global, hybrid environment.

Technical skills

• Microsoft 365 (expert): Exchange Online (mail flow, transport, hybrid concepts), Teams (policies, governance, voice basics where in scope), SharePoint/OneDrive (information architecture, sharing governance), tenant governance, and service health/operational management.
• Microsoft Purview: sensitivity labels and label policies, encryption, DLP (workloads and endpoints where applicable), retention/records management, eDiscovery, Audit, Compliance reporting.
• Identity and access integration understanding (Entra ID): conditional access concepts, role-based access control, and privileged access processes in partnership with IAM.
• Automation and reporting: PowerShell and Microsoft Graph fundamentals; ability to create repeatable reporting for configuration, compliance, and licensing.
• Data and reporting literacy: ability to interpret usage signals and build executive-ready insights (e.g., adoption, risk, cost).

Leadership and behavioural competencies

• Strong people leadership with ability to prioritize, delegate, coach, and create clarity across a distributed team.
• Executive-level communication: able to explain trade-offs across security, compliance, user experience, and cost without “vendor marketing”.
• Structured problem-solving and risk management; comfortable driving decisions with imperfect information.
• Stakeholder management and negotiation skills across IT, Security, Legal, HR, Procurement, Finance, and business leaders.
• High integrity and accountability, with a strong bias for audit-ready documentation and repeatable processes.

Education and certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Microsoft certifications (preferred): Microsoft 365 Administrator (MS-102) and/or Security/Compliance certifications (e.g., SC-400). Additional certifications in identity/security are an advantage.
• ITIL Foundation (preferred) or equivalent service management experience.

Working model

This is a global role and may require collaboration across time zones. Some travel may be required depending on stakeholder needs and key initiatives. The role follows IFS policy requiring 3 days a week in the office.

The responsibilities listed reflect the primary focus of the role but are not exhaustive and may evolve in line with business needs.

We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.