Global Messaging Architect

Who We Are: TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) is a premium sports and entertainment company. TKO owns iconic properties including UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization; WWE, the global leader in sports entertainment; and PBR, the world’s premier bull riding organization. Together, these properties reach 1 billion households across 210 countries and territories and organize more than 500 live events year-round, attracting more than three million fans. TKO also services and partners with major sports rights holders through IMG, an industry-leading global sports marketing agency; and On Location, a global leader in premium experiential hospitality.

DEPARTMENT : TKO IT Infrastructure

MAIN PURPOSE

The Global Messaging Architect exists to design and govern TKO’s enterprise-wide messaging and collaboration ecosystem. This role ensures that email, calendaring, and security platforms are reliable, secure, and scalable across all global brands, while enabling seamless collaboration for employees, partners, and talent. At its core, the role provides architectural leadership across M&A, divestiture, and brand migration programs, safeguarding business continuity, regulatory compliance, and executive communications. This is a pivotal position at the intersection of technology strategy, cybersecurity, and enterprise collaboration, directly influencing the experience of every TKO employee worldwide.

WHY JOIN TKO?

TKO unites three of the most recognizable brands in global sports — UFC, WWE, and PBR — with the premier hospitality brand, OLE, and the world-class broadcast, sports, and events company, IMG, to form a next-generation technology, sports, and entertainment powerhouse. As TKO prepares to separate from Endeavor and build a fresh infrastructure, this is a rare opportunity to engineer core systems at scale in a greenfield environment.

You’ll work with cutting-edge identity, cloud, and infrastructure technologies from Okta and Entra ID and enterprise automation using Workato, Service Now, Workday, and Okta Workflows. The challenges are complex, the expectations are high, and the impact is real. Your work will support everything from corporate operations to global broadcasts and live events.

If you want to build something that lasts and do it with autonomy and purpose, then TKO is where you want to be.

LINE MANAGER: Director, Workplace Engineering

WORKING HOURS: Dynamic

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Permanent

LOCATION: Stamford or remote

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define and maintain the global messaging architecture across Exchange Online, M365, and integrated security/compliance platforms.
• Develop and enforce governance models, standards, and best practices to ensure consistent, secure, and scalable messaging services worldwide.
• Lead messaging strategy through M&A, divestiture, and rebranding initiatives, ensuring seamless coexistence and business continuity.
• Architect and oversee global mail routing, security filtering, authentication standards (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), and hybrid coexistence.
• Direct engineering teams on monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance optimization for mail and calendaring systems.
• Partner with Global Security Operations to strengthen phishing defense, vulnerability patching, and threat detection.
• Provide architectural leadership for integration with Teams, Slack, Zoom, and other collaboration tools.
• Ensure compliance with global regulations (SOX, PCI, GDPR, PIPL, HIPAA) through secure design and retention/eDiscovery controls.
• Establish architecture for journaling, litigation holds, retention, and regulatory reporting in collaboration with Legal and Compliance.
• Govern role-based administration, privileged access, and identity controls across messaging platforms.
• Act as the enterprise subject matter expert for messaging, influencing cross-functional roadmaps and vendor strategy.
• Advise executives and senior leadership on risk, cost optimization, and strategic investments in messaging and collaboration.
• Mentor engineers and administrators, raising overall team capability and ensuring adoption of best practices.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Architectural Leadership: Able to design, articulate, and defend email and messaging architecture decisions across hybrid environments (M365, Exchange Online, Exchange on Prem, Okta, AD, Entra ID).
• Extreme Ownership: adopts the leadership philosophy that means taking accountability for failures, setbacks, and results within your sphere of influence, even those caused by others on your team.
• Execution-Focused: Operates with urgency and accountability; drives deliverables forward without constant oversight.
• Analytical Thinking: Able to break down complex technical problems and deliver practical, scalable solutions.
• Documentation Excellence: Produces clear, detailed, and professional HLDs, LLDs, runbooks, and process diagrams.
• Mentorship & Collaboration: Capable of guiding junior engineers and collaborating effectively across infrastructure, security, and application teams.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to influence stakeholders and explain complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfort with Ambiguity: Thrives in environments where direction is still forming and able to bring structure and clarity to grey areas.
• Resilience: Maintains focus and composure under pressure in fast-moving, high-visibility environments.
• Customer Orientation: Keeps business impact front of mind; balances technical excellence with pragmatic execution.

QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 8+ years of experience in identity and access management, enterprise infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience leading identity architecture and delivery for large-scale, hybrid environments.

Hands-on, expert-level proficiency with:

• Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, Teams Online, SharePoint Online, etc.)
• Google Workspace
• Okta Identity Cloud (SSO, MFA, Workflows, Lifecycle Management, Identity Governance)
• Microsoft Active Directory (forest/domain design, GPOs, trusts, replication)
• Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD (hybrid join, conditional access, identity federation)

Desirable project experience:

• Played a lead role in messaging separation or integration during complex M&A events, including domain consolidation, rebranding, and tenant-to-tenant migrations.
• Architected mail routing and coexistence between acquired/divested entities while maintaining business continuity and compliance.
• Implemented SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MTA-STS, and DANE across global brands to harden email security.
• Rolled out enterprise-grade anti-phishing and advanced threat protection platforms (Mimecast, Proofpoint, Microsoft Defender for Office 365).
• Built global monitoring and alerting frameworks for messaging health, performance, and mail flow.

Preferred Certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Exchange Server 2019 / Exchange Online Expert (or legacy MCSE: Messaging)
• Mimecast Certified Specialist / Engineer
• Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or GIAC certifications (IAM/GRC)
• Training or certification in Zero Trust Architecture, PIM/PAM Design, IAM Governance

Per local requirements and in the interest of transparency, the hourly rate shown below reflects the prevalent current hiring range for this position. Hiring pay rates are based on a number of factors, including location and may vary depending on job-related qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience. The company strives to provide locally competitive rewards packages, which include base rate along with, as applicable, short- and long-term incentives, growth and developmental opportunities, and robust benefits, such as health care, retirement, vacation and other paid time off, and additional offerings.

Hiring Rate Minimum:

$135,000 annually(minimum will not fall below the applicable State/local minimum salary thresholds)

Hiring Rate Maximum:

$180,000 annually

TKO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding non-discrimination in employment. TKO makes employment decisions based on merit and qualifications, without considering an employee’s or applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited under federal, state or local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the Company has facilities. TKO also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state or local laws. For information about Privacy and Information Security for TKO employment candidates, please review our Privacy Policy. For information regarding Terms of Use for this and other TKO websites, please review our Terms of Use.