Overview

OVERVIEW:

Microsoft envisions a world where passionate innovators come to collaborate. A place where they can envision taking their careers to places, they simply couldn’t imagine anywhere else. This is a world of more possibility, more innovation, more openness, and sky’s-the-limit thinking – a cloud-enabled world where we can help transform and allow our customers to disrupt themselves before someone else would.

Role Summary:

ISD at Microsoft is responsible for architecting and delivering the most innovative and complex solutions as well as building solutions using emerging technologies with our customers as part of digital disruption and transformation strategy.

As a Principal Solutions Architect within Industry Solutions Delivery, you are a senior technical leader responsible for architecting and delivering Microsoft’s most complex, high‑impact AI‑ and cloud‑led transformation programs. You operate at executive level with customers, shaping technology strategy, leading large‑scale modernisation initiatives, and ensuring delivery excellence across AI platforms, digital agents, data, and cloud services.

This role combines deep technical mastery with strategic advisory, commercial awareness, and delivery accountability. You are a trusted partner to customer executives and an internal leader who sets architectural standards, mentors senior talent, and advances ISD’s position as Microsoft’s AI transformation leader.

You will require both broad and deep technology knowledge and the ability to architect solutions by mapping common customer business problems to end-to-end technology solutions. You should be able to demonstrate the ability to engage in senior level technology and business decision makers’ discussions related to Transformational agility and business value. You will serve as a key enabler for other architects, consultants, and partners in our business. You will demonstrate a strong passion for the customer through professionalism and striving for excellence in all aspects of customer engagement. You will apply advanced analysis skills and experience in principles of architecture to define leading and most innovative appropriate customer solutions.

Responsibilities

Technical & Architectural Leadership:

• Own end‑to‑end solution architecture for enterprise‑scale AI and cloud modernisation programs, including data centre exit, platform modernisation, and operating model transformation.

• Define, govern, and assure reference architectures aligned to Microsoft best practices for cloud, AI, data, security, and reliability.

• Act as final architectural authority on complex engagements, ensuring quality, scalability, security, and compliance.

AI Platforms & Digital Agents:

• Architect AI platforms that enable repeatable, scalable adoption of generative AI, LLM/SLM‑based services, and intelligent digital agents.

• Lead the design of enterprise‑grade digital agents and copilots embedded into customer workflows and platforms.

• Guide customers on responsible AI, AI governance, model lifecycle management, and platform operations.

Delivery Excellence & Accountability:

• Provide technical leadership across delivery teams, partners, and suppliers to ensure outcomes are delivered on time, on scope, and to quality.

• Support delivery governance, risk management, and technical decision‑making across complex, multi‑year programs.

• Ensure strong alignment between architecture, delivery execution, and customer value outcomes.

Executive Advisory & Customer Leadership:

• Act as a trusted advisor to CIOs, CTOs, Chief Architects, and senior business leaders.

• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business value, including cost, risk, and return on investment.

• Shape transformation roadmaps and investment strategies aligned to customer priorities and Microsoft growth objectives.

Practice Leadership & Talent Development:

• Mentor and develop senior architects and consultants, raising the technical bar across ISD.

• Contribute to ISD intellectual property, reusable assets, and thought leadership in AI and cloud transformation.

• Champion a One Microsoft approach, collaborating across sales, engineering, and partner teams.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 15+ years' experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g. Cloud Platforms), OR

• Master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 12+ years' experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g. Cloud Platforms), OR

• Equivalent proven experience leading complex AI, data, and cloud modernisation programs in enterprise environments with deep expertise in Microsoft Azure, cloud‑native architecture, and modern application and data platforms

Other Requirements:

This position requires verification of New Zealand Citizenship due to citizenship based legal restrictions. Specifically, this position supports federal, state and /or local New Zealand government agency customers and is subject to certain citizenship-based restrictions where required or permitted by law. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Generative AI platforms, digital agents, and responsible AI frameworks.

• Architecture and cloud certifications (e.g. Azure Solutions Architect Expert).

• Enterprise and S500 Consulting with large‑scale delivery background in regulated or asset‑intensive industries.

• Big Tech Companies Experience

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.