{"id":333283,"url":"https://alion.io/job/methods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging","title":"M365 Solution Architect","company":{"id":6935,"name":"Methods","domain":"methods.co.uk","url":"https://alion.io/company/methods-business-and-digital-technology","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workable","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":91,"open_postings":32,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.344,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":42,"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"}},"role":"Solutions","role_family":"Solutions","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":85000,"max_usd":150000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":47},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"DNS","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Defender","optional":false},{"name":"Outlook","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-02","last_verified_at":"2026-10-30T11:57:48Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":58,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":58},"description":"Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited\nMethods 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.\nOur 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.\nWe 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.\nPredominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.\nMethods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.\nAbout the role\nWe 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.\nThis 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.\nYou 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.\nA 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.\nYou 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.\nThe successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise in Exchange Online and Microsoft 365 with strong enterprise architecture, migration and stakeholder-management skills.\nWhat you will do\nAs the Exchange / Microsoft 365 / Messaging Architect, you will own the messaging architecture and provide technical leadership across the transformation lifecycle.\nYou will:\nAssess the current Exchange and Microsoft 365 estate, including configuration, tenants, domains, mail flow, recipients, dependencies, integrations and existing operational arrangements.\nIdentify architectural constraints, technical debt, risks and dependencies that could affect the transformation.\nDefine coexistence and target-state messaging architectures across relevant Microsoft 365 tenants, existing Exchange environments and retained services.\nEstablish architectural principles and standards for messaging migration and modernisation.\nDesign secure and resilient mail-routing architectures across existing and target environments.\nDefine accepted-domain strategies and address dependencies associated with domain ownership, DNS and mail routing.\nDesign DNS, MX, Autodiscover and service-discovery arrangements required to support coexistence and migration.\nDefine address-list, Global Address List and recipient-visibility strategies appropriate to the target environment.\nDesign calendar interoperability, free/busy and scheduling arrangements during the transition.\nDevelop migration patterns for user, shared, resource and service mailboxes, as well as distribution groups, contacts and other messaging objects.\nDefine appropriate approaches for different mailbox and messaging-object types, recognising that not all services will have the same migration requirements.\nEstablish migration sequencing, including discovery, readiness assessment, pilots, production waves, testing, cutover and post-migration support.\nDefine technical entry and exit criteria for messaging migration waves.\nDesign and assure mail-flow continuity throughout migration, including internal, external and cross-environment routing.\nDefine controls for transport rules, connectors, email security and delegated access.\nEnsure messaging architecture aligns with organisational requirements for retention, compliance, eDiscovery, journalling and information governance.\nWork with security specialists to define appropriate controls using capabilities such as Microsoft Defender for Office 365.\nAssess dependencies between messaging and identity synchronisation, applications, SMTP relay, collaboration services, mobile access and endpoint technologies.\nWork with application teams to understand and resolve dependencies where applications send or receive email.\nDefine patterns for SMTP relay and application-to-mail integrations, ensuring they are secure, supportable and aligned with the target architecture.\nCoordinate with identity, collaboration, application, network, security, EUC, service-transition and change teams to ensure messaging dependencies are properly managed.\nReview technical designs and migration approaches produced by engineering and delivery teams, providing architectural assurance.\nSupport the development of detailed migration and implementation plans while retaining ownership of the overall messaging architecture.\nDefine rollback and recovery approaches for messaging migrations and ensure appropriate contingency arrangements are considered.\nSupport cutover decision-making and provide technical assurance during major migration events.\nProvide architectural guidance during early-life support and help resolve complex issues that cross messaging, identity, DNS, application or client boundaries.\nProduce and maintain HLDs, LLDs, architecture diagrams, migration patterns, technical standards, decision records and design documentation.\nEnsure that architectural decisions, assumptions, dependencies and risks are clearly documented and communicated.\nRequirements\nSkills and experience required\nWe are looking for an experienced Messaging Architect with deep technical knowledge of Exchange Online and Microsoft 365.\nYou will ideally have:\nExtensive architecture experience across Exchange Online, Microsoft 365 and enterprise messaging environments.\nProven experience designing hybrid and/or multi-tenant messaging architectures.\nStrong experience delivering tenant-to-tenant mailbox migrations and complex coexistence arrangements.\nExpert knowledge of mail routing, connectors, accepted domains, transport rules and recipient management.\nStrong understanding of DNS, MX records, Autodiscover and messaging-related service discovery.\nExperience designing address-list, calendar, free/busy and collaboration arrangements across multiple environments.\nProven experience defining migration strategies for user, shared, resource and service mailboxes.\nStrong knowledge of email security, including Microsoft Defender for Office 365.\nGood understanding of retention, eDiscovery, journalling, compliance and information-governance requirements.\nStrong understanding of identity synchronisation and the relationship between identity architecture and messaging.\nExperience designing and troubleshooting SMTP relay and application-to-email integrations.\nExperience working with Microsoft and third-party messaging migration tooling.\nStrong understanding of client and end-user considerations, including Outlook, mobile access and user experience during migration.\nExperience designing migration sequencing, pilot approaches, testing, cutover and rollback strategies.\nStrong architecture documentation skills, including HLDs, LLDs, diagrams, technical standards and architecture decision records.\nStrong troubleshooting and analytical skills across messaging, DNS, identity, applications and client technologies.\nExperience working with third-party suppliers and technical delivery partners.\nStrong stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical decisions clearly.\nWhat we are looking for in you\nYou will be a senior technical architect who combines deep messaging expertise with strong architectural judgement.\nYou 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.\nYou 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.\nYou 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.\nYou will also be confident challenging assumptions and proposed migration approaches where they introduce unnecessary risk to mail flow, security, data integrity or user experience.\nStrong 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.\nMost importantly, you will be someone who can balance technical excellence, migration risk, operational practicality and user experience.\nLocation : London initially onsite and then 50/50 hybrid\nBenefits\nMethods is passionate about its people; we want our colleagues to develop the things they are good at and enjoy.\nBy joining us you can expect:\n· Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience\n· Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society\n· Strong, inspiring, and thought-provoking leadership\n· A supportive and collaborative environment\nAs well as this we offer:\nDevelopment - access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme, and training\nWellness - 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme\nFlexible Working - including home working and part time\nSocial - office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and commitment to charitable causes\nTime Off - 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 extra days each year\nVolunteering - 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation\nPension - Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution\nLife Assurance - of 4 times base salary\nPrivate Medical Insurance - which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)\nWorldwide Travel Insurance - which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)\nEnhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay\nTravel - season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme\nFor a full list of benefits please visit our website (www.methods.co.uk/careers/benefits)","description_format":"text","description_chars":11304,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Flexible schedule","Health insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Digital Government","IT Consulting & Digital Transformation","Cloud Consulting & Migration"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-05T17:34:43Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":43,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.776,"p_room":0.55,"age_days":58,"expected_fill_days":42,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/methods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/methods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-30T14:10:09Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1477,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-31T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":6935},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=6935"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fmethods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fmethods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fmethods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/methods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fmethods-m365-architect-exchangemessaging"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":333283}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"methods.co.uk","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":333283},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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