Experience Required: 5+ Years (Information Protection & Data Governance)
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Microsoft Purview Specialist to join our internal Information Security / IT team. This role owns the design, implementation, and ongoing management of our data protection and compliance posture using Microsoft Purview — with deep expertise in Information Protection (MIP), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and Information Rights Management (IRM), along with working knowledge of the broader Purview suite.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of our Microsoft Purview environment — configuration, policy tuning, monitoring, and continuous improvement
- Design and maintain sensitivity label taxonomies, auto-labeling policies, and MIP configurations aligned to internal data classification standards
- Build, monitor, and refine DLP policies across Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and endpoints (Windows/macOS) to prevent data leakage
- Manage IRM/RMS templates and encryption policies to protect sensitive content in motion and at rest
- Administer related Purview capabilities as needed: Data Lifecycle Management (retention/deletion), Records Management, Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, eDiscovery, and Audit
- Maintain and refine sensitive information types (SITs) and trainable classifiers based on evolving business data
- Investigate and respond to DLP/insider risk alerts, tuning policies to reduce false positives/negatives
- Ensure Purview configurations align with internal compliance obligations (e.g., UAE PDPL, GDPR, ISO 27001, industry-specific regulations)
- Maintain internal documentation: policy matrices, configuration standards, and operational runbooks
- Collaborate with IT, legal, and compliance teams to align data protection controls with business and regulatory requirements
- Provide guidance and training to internal stakeholders on data classification and handling policies
- Liaise with Microsoft support and external partners/vendors when required for escalations or advisory support
Required Skills & Experience
- 5+ years of experience in Microsoft security/compliance, with a strong focus on Microsoft Purview
- Deep, hands-on expertise in:
- MIP – sensitivity labels, label policies, auto-labeling, encryption
- DLP – policy design across workloads and endpoints, exact data match, document fingerprinting
- IRM – RMS templates, super user configuration, protection tracking
- Working knowledge of other Purview components: Data Lifecycle Management, Records Management, Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, eDiscovery (Standard/Premium), Compliance Manager, Audit
- Solid understanding of Microsoft 365 architecture (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, OneDrive)
- Familiarity with PowerShell for Purview/Security & Compliance administration
- Understanding of data classification frameworks and applicable regional compliance regulations
- Relevant certifications preferred (e.g., SC-400, SC-401, SC-100)
Nice to Have
- Exposure to Microsoft Defender suite and Entra ID (conditional access, PIM)
- Experience integrating Purview with third-party DLP/CASB tools
- Prior experience working with external Microsoft partners/system integrators on Purview deployments