Windows Solutions Architect

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 

• 5+ 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.