D365 CE Functional Solution Architect

As a member of the Managed Services team, the Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (D365 CE) Functional Solution Architect will help MCA Connect deliver world-class customer service. The Solution Architect is self-motivated to troubleshoot and resolve complex, cross-functional issues with the D365 CE application, leading resolution efforts and guiding the functional team toward high-quality outcomes. The Solution Architect owns the solution scope across all process areas and serves as the primary solution authority on Managed Services engagements.

The Solution Architect makes decisions and recommendations confidently across all areas of the solution, exercises independent judgment and decision-making on complex issues, and advises clients on matters of significant impact to their implementation. They work on problems of diverse scope and complexity ranging from moderate to substantial, lead the team in determining the most effective methods and procedures, and have full ownership of work and milestones.

The Solution Architect requires minimal instruction on day-to-day work or complex assignments, uses independent judgment on analysis of variable factors, and leads others on the development of solutions. They are a comprehensive designer and leader who applies in-depth and broad knowledge across multiple process areas, takes full ownership of complex issues, and is competent to work independently at the most advanced level.

Managed Services engagements span the full lifecycle of client operations. In addition to day-to-day issue resolution and escalation support, the Solution Architect facilitates D365 CE version updates, post-go-live stabilization and hypercare engagements, system assessments and health checks, iterative phased module deployments, optimization of existing systems, and higher-level troubleshooting. The Solution Architect also provides architectural oversight on staff augmentation-style engagements to ensure solution integrity and MCA Connect quality standards are maintained. Position requires up to 30% travel.

Core Responsibilities

Managed Services Support Operations

• Provide outstanding customer service and achieve client satisfaction
• Monitor and triage complex or escalated support cases; own cross-functional issues end-to-end through resolution
• Troubleshoot complex, cross-functional issues and deliver high-quality solutions independently, while leading collaborative resolution efforts across the functional team
• Provide higher-level troubleshooting for cases that exceed Consultant and Senior Consultant expertise
• Oversee and guide Microsoft support escalations, ensuring proper documentation, follow-through, and resolution across Premier Support and Product Group channels

Engagement Delivery Across the MgS Portfolio

• Lead post-go-live stabilization and hypercare engagements; define stabilization scope, success criteria, and transition-to-steady-state plans
• Lead D365 CE system assessments and health checks; deliver architectural findings, risk analysis, and strategic improvement roadmaps to client leadership
• Architect and oversee iterative phased module deployments, defining deployment sequencing, cross-functional dependencies, and go/no-go criteria for each wave
• Provide architectural oversight and solution governance on staff augmentation-style engagements, ensuring embedded resources maintain solution integrity and MCA Connect methodology standards

Customer Satisfaction & Advisory

• Work closely with the MCA Connect functional team to ensure engagements meet customer expectations
• Ensure customer satisfaction by delivering on-time, quality results
• Serve as a trusted advisor to client leadership; display confidence and experience in communicating with Senior Management on concerns, key decisions, risks, and trade-offs that affect the solution
• Promote and encourage change and change management methods to support customer acceptance and system adoption
• Prioritize and maintain focus on the customer’s visionary goals across all workstreams
• Advise clients on matters of significant impact to their implementation; exercise independent judgment and decision making on complex issues

Solution Design & Delivery

• Lead the transition from strategic business transformation decisions to the successful delivery of those strategic decisions through execution phases
• Lead the MCA Connect project teams to define functional requirements and document solution designs; manage and oversee detailed design/requirements meetings to understand clients’ business requirements and conduct gap analysis
• Ensure the quality of design, configuration, and testing of core D365 CE modules across all process areas
• Review design requirements prepared by the functional team; deliver recommended changes and adherence to methodology
• Specify and convey requirements for custom code, integrations, and custom reports to the development team and test completed solutions
• Actively participate as the “D365 CE Expert” in the Executive Steering Committee
• Facilitate and ensure all cross-practice coordination as appropriate
• Support technical lead regarding questions on customizations, estimates, and timelines

Project Team Support & Management

• Ensure project and project team members follow MCA Connect methodology standards, including conformance to any Statements of Work (SOW)
• In partnership with the technical lead, create and execute the final system cutover plan for Go Live
• Work with the Project Manager and technical lead to define an Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) plan for the transition from project implementation to post-Go Live maintenance
• Manage and provide senior support to the client for generation of user documentation
• Manage and provide senior support for the training of end users and system administrators
• Provide business technical support and guidance to empower the functional team to build and own the solution
• Assist functional team and customer with data migration plan, reconciliation plans, and data clean-up recommendations
• Create Azure DevOps test plan through assistance of customer with CRP/UAT test cases, link to user stories, and assure completion and sign-off
• Support and monitor pass/fail CRP/UAT issue resolution, risk escalations and acceptance, and mitigation planning
• Mentor the team to support knowledge transfer, project success, and overall continued career growth
• Provide specific scoping documentation to the Project Manager for the generation of subsequent Statements of Work (SOWs) as appropriate
• Share responsibility with the Project Manager for creating periodic status reports for consumption by project team members and the executive leadership team (ELT)
• Share responsibility with technical lead and Project Manager for tracking customizations, deliverables, and timeliness of completion
• Oversee and support technical lead and functional team regarding debugging and finding code issues
• When applicable: Attend Microsoft FastTrack meetings, provide required documentation and/or training for Go Live checklist; comply with Microsoft FastTrack policies
• Manage ISV decisions, design, and collaboration with the functional team
• Design, review, and maintain awareness of all integration plans
• Monitor and coordinate Microsoft version updates; train, schedule, and guide customer to own release and pause schedules
• Monitor completeness of project, milestone activities, and sign-off tasks
• Promote continuous learning, D365 CE feature enhancement review, and deployment

Managed Services Operations & Collaboration

• Maintain effective customer relationships; log incidents and document communications in CE
• Develop whitepapers, best practice knowledge base articles, and proactive service offerings leveraging new features or common repetitive areas
• Create, develop, and deliver proactive services to reduce recurring issues and improve client outcomes
• Provide support for team members; actively mentor Consultants and Senior Consultants on technical skills, cross-functional knowledge, and client management
• Communicate effectively with client leadership on business process decisions and project direction
• Optimize individual utilization; continue professional education by setting specific annual training goals
• Work independently with a self-motivated approach, while remaining open to collaboration, team participation, and knowledge sharing

MCA Representation & Communication

• Create and deliver content for both internal and external training, communication, and marketing
• Represent MCA Connect at promotional and educational events