Senior Power Platform Architect - Pharma Contract Role in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This is a senior-level consulting engagement via Toptal for a global pharmaceutical company — a strong signal that the role demands both technical depth and client-facing credibility. Toptal's vetting process is rigorous, so being placed here is itself a career credential.
Compensation: No salary is listed, which is typical for Toptal contract roles. Market rates for a Power Platform Solutions Architect at this seniority level in North America typically range from $120–$180/hr on contract. At 30 hrs/week in Phase 1, annualized earnings could be substantial if the engagement extends or leads to follow-on work.
Skills developed:
- Enterprise-scale Power Platform architecture (highly sought after as Microsoft ecosystem adoption grows)
- Azure integration patterns (API Management, Key Vault, Entra ID) — transferable to broader cloud architecture roles
- ERP/SAP integration experience in regulated (pharma) environments — a niche with premium compensation
- Solution modernization strategy — a leadership-level skill valued in digital transformation initiatives
Green flags: The deliverable-oriented structure gives clear professional wins to add to your portfolio. Pharmaceutical domain experience adds regulatory credibility. Part-time Phase 2 commitment suggests a well-scoped engagement, not scope creep.
Watch out for: No mention of benefits, long-term extension, or conversion to full-time — treat this as a pure contract engagement. Ensure your rate negotiation accounts for the lack of benefits.
Headquarters: Toptal (Remote)
We are looking for a Power Platform Solutions Architect for a global pharmaceutical company. The goal is to assess and modernize an existing Power Platform solution, define the target architecture, and lead the technical design of a scalable and secure implementation.
Required Skills:
- Deep hands-on experience with Microsoft Power Platform, including Power Apps (canvas and model-driven), Power Automate, Dataverse, Power Pages, and Power BI
- Strong experience designing Dataverse schemas and security roles
- Azure architecture experience with API Management, Azure Functions, Key Vault, Entra ID/SSO, and Azure Monitor/Application Insights
- Experience designing enterprise integration architectures, including integrations where counterpart APIs or contracts are uncertain, changing, or being migrated
- Experience integrating enterprise applications with ERP systems
- Experience designing identity and access models for licensed and unlicensed user audiences
- Strong understanding of Microsoft Power Platform licensing models, including per-user Dataverse licensing and capacity/session-based Power Pages licensing
- Experience evaluating existing solutions and defining modernization, remediation, or rebuild strategies
Optional Skills (not mandatory):
- SAP integration experience
Deliverables:
- Lead the technical assessment of the existing Power Apps application, Power Automate flows, data layer, Power BI reporting, and four integration touchpoints
- Support the Regulatory data-profiling spike and incorporate findings into the target solution architecture
- Define and evaluate costed patch and rebuild options and support the final technical recommendation
- Produce a detailed and staffed Phase 2 implementation plan
- Design the consolidated Dataverse entity model and define workflow and business-logic architecture
- Define the target integration architecture across the four integration touchpoints
- Configure the Entra ID access model for licensed and unlicensed audiences
- Configure the shared Azure API Management, Key Vault, and monitoring architecture supporting the integrations
- Produce the technical handover documentation for the implemented solution
General Information:
- Location: USA or Canada only
- Overlap: 6 hours with the East Coast time zone (USA ET)
- Commitment: Approximately 30 hours per week during Phase 1 and 10 hours per week during Phase 2
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