Sr Staff IT Architect

Position Summary 
We are hiring a Sr Staff Endpoint Architect — one of the Windows architects — to provide strategic, functional, and technical leadership for Windows architecture. This is a senior architect role focused on designing Windows solutions for business partner requests and enhancements, enforcing architecture governance, and conducting formal review of endpoint-impacting changes. The role works closely with the Windows Product Owner and the Device Configuration Owner to translate business needs into robust, secure, and repeatable Windows designs. This is an architect/leadership role, not a hands-on senior engineer position. 

Primary Focus / Outcomes 

• Design for business requests & enhancements: Produce clear, scalable and secure Windows architecture and solution designs in response to requests and enhancement initiatives from business partners and product teams. 

• Architecture governance & review: Participate in and help operate formal architecture governance for Windows (standards, baselines, decision records), including formal technical review and approval of endpoint-impacting changes. 

• Functional/technical leadership: Provide authoritative architectural guidance and guardrails to desktop engineering, Device Configuration, and other implementation teams — enabling them to execute while maintaining architectural integrity. 

• Cross-team collaboration: Work with the Windows Product Owner, Device Configuration team, Security, Infrastructure, and business stakeholders to ensure designs meet functional, security, regulatory, and operational requirements. 

Roles & Responsibilities 

• Act as one of the enterprise Windows architects responsible for producing and reviewing solution designs for business partner requests and product enhancements. 

• Translate business requirements into architecture blueprints, reference designs, configuration guidance, and documented tradeoffs for assigned initiatives. 

• Participate in (or co-run) the Endpoint/Windows Architecture Review Board (ARB) with the Windows Product Owner and Device Configuration Owner and other stakeholders to vet and approve endpoint-impacting designs and changes. 

• Perform formal architecture reviews, risk assessments, and provide remediation or alternative design recommendations when needed. 

• Produce and maintain architecture artifacts for assigned domains: reference architectures, decision records, technical standards, and review checklists that implementation teams can consume. 

• Define and enforce Windows baselines, hardening guidance, and configuration expectations relevant to assigned projects — in partnership with Device Configuration (not as the unilateral owner of the platform). 

• Influence vendor selection and solution evaluation for Windows-centric components tied to requests and enhancements; articulate long-term architectural implications to procurement and leadership. 

• Ensure designs comply with regulatory, security, and operational controls in regulated environments; work with Security and Compliance to align on mitigations. 

• Mentor and upskill engineers and architects on architectural reasoning, review discipline, and governance practices — focus on enabling teams versus day-to-day implementation. 

Minimum Requirements / Qualifications 

• 10+ years of IT experience with progressive responsibility in architecture, platform ownership, or technical leadership, with a strong emphasis on Windows architecture at scale. 

• Deep, demonstrable expertise in enterprise Windows architecture (Windows 10/11 Modern Desktop, servicing/feature management, modern management patterns). 

• Strong experience with endpoint governance processes and tooling (SCCM/MECM, Microsoft Intune/MEM, Entra ID/Active Directory, VDI, WS1/AirWatch, etc.). 

• Proven experience translating business requirements into architecture blueprints and formal design artifacts. 

• Experience participating in or running Architecture Review Boards or equivalent governance processes. 

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills; history of working closely with product owners, configuration teams, and business partners. 

• Strong written and verbal communication — able to document, defend, and present architecture decisions and tradeoffs to technical and business audiences. 

• Experience in regulated environments is required. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Prior experience as a Windows architect within a team of architects (i.e., not sole platform owner) collaborating with product owners and configuration teams. 

• Background in endpoint security architecture and integration of Windows design with enterprise security strategy. 

• Familiarity with cloud identity and device management (Azure, Entra, Intune) and how these integrate with Windows design patterns. 

• Experience with formal architecture tooling, decision-record practices, and governance metrics. 

Non-Negotiable Hiring Criteria 

• Clear evidence of functional/technical leadership and architecture governance experience. 

• Demonstrated ability to lead architectural reviews and influence decisions without being a primary hands-on implementer. 

• Exceptional communication and documentation skills; ability to translate business asks to architectural solutions. 

• Attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholder priorities. 

• Proficient in English, both written and spoken, with the ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and effectively across a range of business contexts. 

• This role is strategic and architectural — we are not hiring a primarily hands-on Sr Engineer.