Active Directory Specialist

Job Title: Active Directory Specialist

Location: Ada, MI

Duration: 6 months

Competencies: 8-10+ years experience required

Active Directory REQUIRED

Windows Servers

Required Skills:

• Proven experience architecting AD in large, multi-domain, multi-site enterprise environments.
• Deep expertise in: Domain/Forest model design, Group Policy architecture, AD security & hardening, DNS/DHCP, Azure AD & Hybrid Identity, Federation & SSO models (ADFS, OAuth, SAML)
• Strong PowerShell automation skills.
• Solid understanding of networking (TCP/IP, routing, firewalls, load balancers).
• Familiarity with zero-trust and identity security frameworks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Active Directory architectures.
• Architect domain/forest structures, OU design, Group Policy frameworks, and AD security baselines.
• Define AD governance, naming conventions, delegation models, and identity lifecycle standards.
• Oversee AD replication, domain controller placement, and Site/Subnet configurations.
• Design and implement secure authentication models (Kerberos, LDAP/S, NTLM hardening).
• Architect solutions for IAM, including RBAC, least privilege models, privileged access management (PAM), and SSO/MFA.
• Lead integration between on-prem Active Directory and Azure AD (Cloud Hybrid Identity).
• Oversee Azure AD Connect, federation services (ADFS), Conditional Access, and identity governance.
• Design and standardize Windows Server builds, hardening baselines, and automation frameworks.
• Architect solutions for patching, configuration management, and OS lifecycle management.
• Provide architecture leadership for virtualization platforms (VMware/Hyper-V) as they relate to Windows workloads.
• Lead identity and Windows security posture improvements using Entra ID Protection, Conditional Access, and MFA.
• Work closely with the security team to design secure AD and Windows infrastructures aligned with zero-trust principles.
• Drive remediation of AD vulnerabilities, legacy protocols, and misconfigurations.
• Support identity governance audits, compliance assessments, and security reviews.
• Architect automation solutions using PowerShell, DSC, and modern configuration tools (Intune/SCCM).
• Recommend improvements to performance, reliability, identity workflow, and user provisioning.
• Serve as the enterprise SME for AD, Windows, and identity services.