Role: O365 SME (Office 365)
Duration: 1+ yr
Work Type: Hybrid*First Preference to consultants local to Wahington DC, Virginia and Maryland
1.Job Description:This role exists to ensure the secure, reliable, compliant, and efficient operation of Microsoft 365 (O365) services that underpin missioncritical communications, collaboration, identity, and compliance capabilities across the agency.
The O365 Information Technology Specialist acts as the primary technical authority for tenant administration, identity and access management, messaging, collaboration platforms, security monitoring, and compliance operations.
2. Reporting and Compliance
The O365 Information Technology Specialist will:- Report to the Enterprise Platforms and Storage Director
- Collaborate closely with:
- Cybersecurity
- Enterprise Applications
- Infrastructure and Networking
- Legal, Privacy, and eDiscovery stakeholders
The Specialist will ensure compliance with:
- Federal IT security and identity management requirements (e.g., FISMA, Zero Trust mandates)
- Microsoft 365 security and governance best practices
- Agencywide OCIO policies, audits, and change management processes
The position is responsible for maintaining comprehensive documentation, audit evidence, and administrative reporting to support OIG reviews, legal discovery actions, licensing audits, and cybersecurity assessments.
3. BackgroundThe Agency relies heavily on Microsoft 365 services for email, identity, authentication, collaboration, compliance, and security monitoring across geographically distributed domestic and international users. These services are foundational to agency operations and mission delivery.
The complexity of managing:
- Hybrid identity (onprem Active Directory + Azure AD/Entra ID)
- Rolebased access controls
- Highvolume email and collaboration platforms
- Legal holds and data retention
- Licensing governance and cost management
requires a dedicated O365 Systems Administrator with deep technical expertise and operational accountability.
Duties:4.1 Microsoft 365 Tenant & Identity Management- Administer Microsoft 365 tenant configuration and service health
- Manage Azure AD / Entra ID identity lifecycle, including:
- User provisioning and deprovisioning
- Group and rolebased access control (RBAC)
- Conditional Access and MFA policies
- Support hybrid identity synchronization and authentication services
4.2 Messaging & Collaboration Administration- Administer and support:
- Exchange Online
- Microsoft Teams
- SharePoint Online
- OneDrive for Business
- Manage mail flow, transport rules, mailbox permissions, and shared mailboxes
- Support platform configuration changes, troubleshooting, and service optimization
4.3 Security & Compliance Operations- Configure and manage Microsoft 365 security controls including:
- Defender for Office 365
- Microsoft Purview compliance features
- DLP, retention, and sensitivity labeling
- Support incident response, investigation, and remediation activities
- Implement and maintain audit logging and monitoring
4.4 eDiscovery, Legal Hold & Retention Support- Administer eDiscovery (Standard and Premium) cases
- Apply and manage litigation holds and retention policies
- Coordinate with legal and privacy officials on data preservation and collection
- Ensure defensible, auditable handling of sensitive information
4.5 License Management & Cost Control- Manage Microsoft 365 license assignment and utilization
- Monitor license consumption and oversubscription risks
- Provide reporting and analysis for:
- Budget planning
- License optimization
- Audit readiness
4.6 Operational Monitoring & Reporting- Monitor service health, incidents, and performance issues
- Produce recurring operational reports, including:
- Service outages and incident summaries
- Security findings and compliance posture
- License utilization and access trends
- Recommend improvements for reliability, security, and efficiency
5. Key DeliverablesThe O365 Information Technology Specialist shall produce:
- Monthly O365 Operations & Health Reports
- Monthly License Utilization and Cost Reports
- Security and Compliance Configuration Documentation
- eDiscovery and Legal Hold Support Artifacts
- Identity and Access Control Reviews
- Incident Response Documentation and Root Cause Analyses
- Recommendations for Security, Governance, and Cost Optimization
CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS
Qualified Personnel- 710 years of direct Microsoft 365 / O365 systems administration experience
- Demonstrated expertise in:
- Exchange Online
- Azure AD / Entra ID
- Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive
- Microsoft Purview and Defender
- Valid and verifiable IT degrees and certifications
Desired Certifications- Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert
- Azure Administrator Associate
- Azure Security Engineer
- CompTIA Security+
- ITIL Foundations
Flexible work from home options available.