Lead Microsoft Architect

About Our Company

We’re a diversified financial services leader with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management, administration and advisement as of year-end 2024. Our team of 22,000 people across 19 countries, serves more than 3.5 million individual, small business and institutional clients. We are a longstanding leader in financial planning and advice, a global asset manager and an insurer. Our unwavering focus on our clients and strong financial foundation connects each of our unique businesses – Ameriprise Financial, Columbia Threadneedle Investments and RiverSource Insurance and Annuities. Here, we foster meaningful careers, invest in the future, and make a difference for clients, institutions and communities around the world.

Job Description

This role requires a versatile technologist with a comprehensive command of the Microsoft ecosystem across security, low-code development, artificial intelligence, data, collaboration, and endpoint management. The position is not a single-platform specialization; it demands an architect capable of treating the enterprise Microsoft investment as one integrated platform rather than a collection of discrete tools.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will possess broad, hands-on expertise with demonstrated depth in several priority domains: Microsoft, Power Platform (Power Apps), Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Fabric, collaboration technologies, Security, and modern workplace platforms. The architect will define strategy, establish standards, and direct teams toward secure, scalable, and modern solutions.

Architecture, Strategy & Leadership

• Develop reference architectures, standards, and roadmaps that treat Microsoft as one connected platform.

• Lead technology assessments, proofs-of-concept, and vendor evaluations.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders and mentor engineers and architects.

• Present strategy and recommendations to senior leadership.

Power Platform & Low-Code Development

• Direct the strategy, governance, and adoption of the Power Platform, with emphasis on Power Apps and process automation (Power Automate).

• Establish standards, guardrails, and an operating model that enables safe business-led development without sprawl or risk.

• Identify opportunities for low-code solutions to replace manual processes or costly custom development.

Microsoft Copilot & AI

• Define and lead the Copilot adoption strategy across Microsoft 365 and the broader platform.

• Evaluate emerging AI capabilities, identify business use cases, and govern responsible rollout.

• Partner with security and governance functions to manage data access, risk, and compliance for AI tools.

Microsoft Fabric & Data

• Establish the enterprise approach to Microsoft Fabric, including data integration, analytics, and reporting.

• Partner with data and analytics teams to align Fabric capabilities with the broader Microsoft platform strategy.

• Mature this capability over time as adoption expands.

Microsoft Security & Compliance

• Apply a security-conscious lens across the Microsoft stack, with working knowledge of Microsoft Defender, Entra ID, and Purview.

• Partner with the cybersecurity function to embed security and data protection into platform decisions and support Zero Trust principles, including secure collaboration and endpoint solutions.

• Support compliance and information protection initiatives, leveraging Microsoft Purview Information Protection and Insider Risk Management.

• Ensure solutions meet regulatory, operational, and security requirements.

Collaboration & Modern Work

• Provide architecture leadership for the collaboration stack — Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive.

• Advance communication, knowledge sharing, and productivity, with attention to user experience.

• Maintain core productivity and messaging services (including Exchange Online) as a stable foundation, secondary to the scope of this role.

Modern Workplace Platforms

• Provide architecture leadership for Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and device platforms, including Microsoft Intune.

• Advance a modern management strategy that improves endpoint security, reliability, and the end-user experience.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (4-year) in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field; or related work experience.

• 7+ years of relevant work experience required.

• Broad, hands-on expertise across the Microsoft ecosystem, with demonstrated depth in several of the following: Microsoft security (Defender suite, Entra ID, Purview), Power Platform / Power Apps, Microsoft Copilot, collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive), modern workplace platforms (Microsoft Intune, Unified Endpoint Management), and Microsoft Fabric.

• Proven ability to translate business requirements into secure, practical solutions.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Broad experience across architecture practices (data, infrastructure, applications, and security) with depth of experience in at least one area.

• Knowledge of enterprise-wide architecture and ability to "see the big picture" and how it affects current and future technologies.

• Internal/external consulting experience that spans organizational boundaries and includes influencing technology and business leaders.

• Depth of experience in the architecture, design, implementation, and support of complex enterprise solutions.

• Exposure to multiple, diverse technical configurations, technologies, and process improvements.

Preferred Qualification

• Enterprise-scale delivery of Power Platform or Copilot solutions.

• Experience designing and operating Unified Endpoint Management at scale with Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopilot.

• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Fabric and modern data platforms.

• Familiarity with Zero Trust architecture principles.

• Relevant Microsoft certifications in security, Power Platform, Azure, endpoint management, or data and analytics.

Visa Sponsorship and In-Office Collaboration Or Remote Work  (in the body of the job description AFTER the Preferred Qualifications section)

Visa Sponsorship

Applicants must have a valid work authorization that does not now, or in the future, require visa sponsorship for employment in the United States (e.g., H-1B, F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, TN).

In-Office Collaboration

We are a client-centric, relationship-based business. Working together, in-person, is foundational to how we achieve results. By fostering a culture of face-to-face collaboration, idea sharing, productivity and personal connection, we deliver for our stakeholders — clients, advisors, employees and shareholders. Our employees work in the office at least four (4) days per week, with flexibility to work from home one (1) day per week. Some roles may require additional in-office time or different in-office expectations, and specific requirements will be discussed during the hiring process.

Base Pay Salary

The estimated base salary for this role is $145,000 - $175,000 / year. We have a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy. Your initial total compensation may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and geographical work location. In addition, most of our roles are eligible for variable pay in the form of bonus, commissions, and/or long-term incentives depending on the role. We also have a competitive and comprehensive benefits program that supports all aspects of your health and well-being, including but not limited to vacation time, sick time, 401(k), and health, dental and life insurance.Full timeExemptTechnologyTECH Technology

Ameriprise Financial is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, military status, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, disability status, marital status, family status or any other basis prohibited by law.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, speak to your recruiter to discuss how we can support you.