Solutions Architect (Chicago)

Position Summary:

The Solutions Architect owns the architecture and governance of the Firm’s Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 environment, including identity, security, and cost. This role sets the standards new projects build on, designs how the environment scales as the Firm grows, and leads architecture for key initiatives including AI adoption, document management modernization, and cyber-resilient disaster recovery. The role partners closely with IT, Information Security, Innovation, and business stakeholders to deliver a secure, integrated foundation that protects client confidentiality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own architecture and governance for the Firm’s live Azure/M365 environment, including identity, security, and cost optimization.
• Establish design standards and security baselines so new projects build on a common foundation.
• Design secure integrations between new platforms and existing systems, including document management and practice management applications.
• Design dedicated Development and Production environments and define tenant isolation and migration approaches for entity transitions.
• Lead architecture and readiness for Microsoft 365 E7, including identity, Copilot, and AI agent governance.
• Lead architecture for document management modernization and disaster recovery, including cyber resilience.
• Ensure architecture supports client security requirements and frameworks such as ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 42001, and NIST AI RMF
• Establish a formal architecture documentation and review process, including security design reviews.
• Translate business needs into scalable solutions and communicate decisions to technical and non-technical audiences.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of IT infrastructure experience, including 3+ years in a solutions, cloud, or enterprise architecture role.
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams).
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, SSO, Intune, Defender, Purview, and Zero Trust principles.
• Experience with multi-tenant design, tenant separation, or migrations.
• Excellent documentation, communication, and stakeholder management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Law firm or professional services experience, with strict client confidentiality and compliance obligations.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Purview for data governance, retention, and compliance (DLP, ethical walls, e-discovery readiness).
• Background supporting disaster recovery and business continuity planning for cloud environments.
• Experience deploying and governing Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, or AI agents.
• Familiarity with FinOps practices: Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and cost optimization strategy.
• Infrastructure-as-code (Bicep, Terraform, Python) and PowerShell scripting.
• Preferred Microsoft certifications such as AZ-305, SC-100, SC-300, and AZ-700.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience

This is a remote role, with a preference for candidates located in the Central or Eastern time zones and within reasonable proximity to one of our office locations. The salary ranges for this position vary depending on the geographic location and other factors such as experience, internal equity, market data, and job-related considerations. The range for this position is from $140,000+ with offers contingent upon the various factors. The firm’s compensation strategy includes not just a base salary but also comprehensive benefits such as healthcare, paid time off, discretionary merit bonuses, life and disability insurance, retirement plans and tailored learning opportunities.

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our Firm and in the larger legal profession. We believe that diverse skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger firm. Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP maintains a policy of affording all employees and applicants equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity, gender expression or being transgender), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital or familial status, domestic violence victim status, ancestry, amnesty, citizenship status, ethnicity, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation will not be tolerated in any of the Firm’s offices or any other work-related setting. Qualified individuals with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a position or to enable them to perform the essential functions of a position for which they are otherwise qualified. EEO.