Microsoft 365 Specialist – SharePoint, Entra, Security & Power Automate

Project description We are a small Australian manufacturing/retail business looking for an experienced Microsoft 365 specialist to provide project-based technical support and help us improve our existing Microsoft 365 environment. We are not looking for ongoing managed IT support at this stage. We want to work with an experienced contractor on specific projects and technical issues as they arise. Our environment is predominantly cloud-based and includes Microsoft 365, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange/shared mailboxes, Power Automate, Excel, Teams and a number of cloud-based business applications. We have already made progress configuring the environment ourselves, so we need someone who can work with and review an existing setup rather than starting from scratch. Initial areas of work The initial project is likely to include some or all of the following: * Review our existing Microsoft 365 environment and identify configuration/security issues * Review users, licences and administrative roles * Review and improve our SharePoint structure * Configure SharePoint groups, permissions and access * Assist with migration from Dropbox to SharePoint * Troubleshoot existing OneDrive/SharePoint access issues * Review Exchange Online/shared mailbox configuration where required * Review Microsoft 365 security configuration * Advise on Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Defender and Intune * Review endpoint/device security * Review Microsoft 365 backup requirements and assist with implementation * Troubleshoot existing Power Automate workflows * Assist with Microsoft 365/Power Automate integrations where required * Document changes made and provide clear instructions so the business can maintain the environment ourselves There may also be smaller Microsoft 365 administration or troubleshooting tasks as the project progresses. Important — security and access We are very conscious of protecting our Microsoft 365 environment and business data. We will not provide our personal administrator credentials or unrestricted Global Administrator access. The successful contractor must be comfortable working using least-privilege access, with access provided only to the systems and administrative roles required for each task. Where elevated permissions are genuinely required, these will be provided temporarily and removed when the task is completed. You must: * Use your own identifiable account * Work within permissions provided by us * Never share credentials * Never create additional administrator accounts without approval * Never change security settings, administrator roles or access permissions outside the agreed scope * Never delete or export business data without explicit approval * Document significant configuration changes * Tell us before making changes that could materially affect users, data or security How we want to work We would prefer to start with a small paid diagnostic/audit task. The initial task would be to review our Microsoft 365 environment and provide: 1. Key issues identified 2. Security concerns 3. Recommended improvements 4. Priority of each recommendation 5. What you recommend we do ourselves 6. What you recommend you undertake 7. Estimated hours/cost for each subsequent piece of work No major changes should be made during the initial audit without our approval. Following the audit, we expect to engage the successful contractor for individual fixed-price or clearly defined hourly projects. Required experience You should have strong, demonstrable experience with: * Microsoft 365 administration * Microsoft Entra ID * Exchange Online * SharePoint Online * OneDrive * Microsoft Teams * Power Automate * Microsoft Intune * Microsoft Defender for Business * Microsoft 365 security * Microsoft 365 migrations Experience working with small businesses is highly desirable. Australian business experience is also desirable, particularly an understanding of the practical needs of a small business rather than enterprise-only environments. To apply Please provide: 1. A brief description of your Microsoft 365 experience 2. Examples of similar small-business Microsoft 365 projects you have completed 3. Your experience with SharePoint/Dropbox migrations 4. Your experience with Entra ID and Microsoft 365 security 5. Your experience with Power Automate 6. Your approach to providing contractors with secure, limited administrative access 7. Your hourly rate 8. Your estimated cost for an initial 1–2 hour diagnostic review Please do not request Global Administrator credentials in your application. We are looking for someone who can explain technical issues clearly to a non-technical business owner, work methodically, document what they do, and help us become less dependent on external IT support over time.