Position summary: We are seeking a highly skilled and self-driven Microsoft 365 Communication Systems Engineer to join our Corporate Platform Engineering team. This role emphasizes Exchange administration (on-prem and cloud), Microsoft Teams management, and M365 governance, with strong knowledge of Purview retention policies and Defender for Cloud. The ideal candidate will be a well-rounded M365/Entra/Azure engineer who can troubleshoot complex issues, drive adoption of integrated SaaS solutions (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow in Teams), and maintain a secure, compliant environment. About The Clearing House: The Clearing House Payments Company L.L.C. is a bank-owned industry utility that shapes the payments landscape and provides infrastructure for safe, reliable, and efficient payments. We see an economy where everyone is connected and a future where modern payments make life easier. The Clearing House operates four payment systems: a high-value wire-transfer system (the CHIPS® network), the country’s first and largest instant payments system (the RTP® network), an automated clearinghouse network (the EPN® network), and a check image exchange network (the Image Exchange Network). TCH also operates a bank account number tokenization service, runs a payments association known as the TCH Payments Authority, and maintains the rules for private-sector check image exchange through its ECCHO® business line. Key Responsibilities Exchange Administration • Manage and maintain Exchange Online and on-prem Exchange environments, including mail flow, hybrid configurations, and security hardening. • Implement and maintain Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 policies, including anti-spam, anti-phishing, Safe Links, and Safe Attachments. • Troubleshoot mail delivery, transport rules, and compliance issues. • Manage mail routing, transport rules, connectors, accepted domains, DKIM, DMARC, SPF, and hybrid mail flow configurations. • Administer shared mailboxes, resource mailboxes, distribution groups, Microsoft 365 Groups, and mail-enabled security groups. • Perform advanced troubleshooting of mail flow, hybrid connectivity, directory synchronization, transport services, message trace analysis, and client connectivity issues. Microsoft Teams Management • Configure and maintain Teams governance, policies, lifecycle management, external access, guest access, and collaboration settings. • Drive adoption of Teams integrations with SaaS platforms like Jira and ServiceNow. • Support Teams Phone, Auto Attendants, and Call Queues where applicable. • Support Teams Rooms and meeting experience enhancements. Compliance & Security • Partner with Information Security teams to support Microsoft Purview retention, compliance, and information governance initiatives across Exchange Online, Teams, and SharePoint Online. • Provide technical guidance, troubleshooting, and platform expertise related to retention policies, compliance configurations, data lifecycle management, and Microsoft 365 workloads. • Participate in security reviews, audits, and remediation efforts supporting regulatory and • Job Title: M365 Engineer (Communications) Department: Operations & Technology Reports to: Director, Corporate Platform Engineering FLSA Status: Exempt Classification: Contract to hire • industry standards. • Collaborate with cybersecurity teams on Microsoft 365 security initiatives, providing expertise on Exchange Online, Teams, Entra ID, and related collaboration technologies. • Assist with Entra ID administration as needed, including enterprise application integration, SaaS application authentication, Single Sign-On (SSO), and Conditional Access policy support. Core Infrastructure Skill • Perform basic engineering tasks: Active Directory, Group Policy, schema updates, and certificate renewals. • Utilize monitoring tools for proactive issue detection and resolution. • Automate tasks using PowerShell for M365 and Azure environments. Operational Requirements • Execute after-hours changes as needed under strict Change Management processes. • Document configurations, troubleshooting steps, and knowledge transfer materials. • Collaborate across teams to efficiently identify issues, resolve problems, and continuously improve platform stability and user experience. Qualifications • Deep expertise in Exchange Online and on-prem Exchange administration. • Experience troubleshooting mail flow, hybrid Exchange environments, transport services, connectors, and message delivery issues. • Strong knowledge of Microsoft Teams governance, lifecycle management, and SaaS integrations (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow). • Experience supporting and troubleshooting Microsoft Purview compliance, retention, and information governance solutions. • Familiarity with Exchange Online Protection (EOP), Microsoft Defender for Office 365, and email security best practices. • Working knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID, Single Sign-On (SSO), Conditional Access, and hybrid identity solutions including Microsoft Entra Connect. • Proficiency in PowerShell scripting for automation and troubleshooting. • Solid understanding of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, certificate management, and hybrid identity architectures. • Experience with network and server administration fundamentals. • Knowledge of general disaster recovery validation methods and willingness to assist in testing efforts. • Comfortable working within a strict, heavily vetted Change Management process. • Ability to support security, audit, and risk control requirements within a regulated environment, with familiarity in common industry security frameworks. • Strong documentation skills for platform configurations and user instructions. • Excellent troubleshooting skills and ability to take ownership of tasks from start to finish. • Exceptional communication and problem-solving skills; able to clearly articulate initiatives and solutions. • Highly organized with strong attention to detail. • Self-driven, proactive, and capable of adapting quickly to changing business and technology requirements. Work Conditions & Expectations • Hybrid Schedule: 3 days onsite (Charlotte NC preferred, occasional asks to report to Winston-Salem NC as needed); On-site work requirements can change at any time. • Operational Flexibility: Ability to perform after-hours changes and participate in on-call rotations when required. • Dynamic Environment: Work involves frequent troubleshooting, collaboration across teams, and adapting to evolving technologies. • Security & Compliance: Must adhere to strict Change Management processes and participate in security reviews as needed. • Standard Office Setup: Role primarily uses standard IT equipment (laptops, conferencing tools, monitoring systems) with occasional interaction with server rooms or networking hardware.