Infrastructure Engineer

Title: Infrastructure Engineer III (Enterprise Messaging & Collaboration)

Location: Hartford, CT - Hybrid

Duration: 12 Months Contract

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Normal Business Hours

Description:

Position Overview:

• We are seeking an experienced Infrastructure Engineer II with broad and deep technical expertise in Microsoft 365 administration, Exchange Online, on-premises Exchange Server and Microsoft Teams. This role is critical to maintain and enhance our organization’s enterprise messaging and collaboration platforms in a secure, reliable, and high-performing manner. You will manage hybrid and cloud environments, oversee advanced Teams configurations, and drive operational excellence through automation and security best practices. The successful candidate will ensure our email and collaboration systems are optimized for availability and efficiency, enable seamless communication across the company, and uphold strict security and compliance standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Exchange Administration: Manage and maintain the Microsoft Exchange environment (Exchange Online and on-premises Exchange Server) to ensure high availability, security, and optimal performance of email services. Oversee hybrid Exchange configurations (Azure AD Connect, mail flow between on-prem and cloud) and administer mailboxes, distribution groups, and mail routing policies. Monitor Exchange server health and queues and implement data retention or archiving policies for business continuity.
• Microsoft Teams Administration: Configure and support Microsoft Teams for enterprise collaboration, including user provisioning, team and channel management, and policy configuration. Administer Teams Phone System features – set up and manage voice settings such as Direct Routing, dial plans, call queues, normalization rules, and E911 emergency location services. Manage Teams meeting configurations, scheduling policies, and Teams client updates (including for VDI/Citrix environments). Ensure Teams is integrated with other M365 services (Exchange for calendar and meetings, SharePoint/OneDrive for file sharing) to provide a seamless user experience.
• PowerShell Scripting & Automation: Develop and maintain PowerShell scripts and automation routines to streamline repetitive administrative tasks across Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and Azure AD. Automate user onboarding/offboarding (account creation, license assignment, mailbox setup, Teams configuration), batch changes (e.g. updating mailbox settings or Teams policies for many users), and regular health reporting. Utilize scripting to generate usage reports, monitor system metrics, and quickly resolve common issues, thereby improving efficiency and consistency in platform management. Continuously explore opportunities to leverage automation for configuration management, patch deployments, and backups.
• Monitoring & Troubleshooting: Continuously monitor the health, performance, and usage of Exchange (server performance, mail flow, database storage) and Teams (service status, call quality, site usage) through dashboards and admin portals. Detect and address anomalies or potential problems proactively to minimize downtime. Serve as the top-tier (Tier 3) support for complex issues across these platforms: diagnose and resolve email delivery problems, client connectivity issues (Outlook/Exchange ActiveSync), Teams call and meeting quality issues. Perform root cause analysis on major incidents and implement preventive measures. When necessary, engage Microsoft Support and follow through on escalated tickets to resolution.
• Upgrades & Projects: Plan and execute upgrades, migrations, and enhancement projects for the M365 environment. This includes applying Exchange Server updates or migrating on-premises Exchange mailboxes to Exchange Online, enabling new Microsoft 365 features (for Exchange, Teams) as they become available, and coordinating tenant-to-tenant migrations if required. Ensure changes are tested and follow change management processes to avoid user disruption.
• Documentation & Collaboration: Document all configurations, procedures, and best practices related to our Microsoft 365 environment. Maintain a knowledge base of runbooks and FAQs for common administrative and support scenarios (e.g., “Steps to restore a deleted mailbox”). Provide training and guidance to IT support teams and end-users as needed, helping them understand new features or changes (for example, conducting a brief training on using Teams voice features). Collaborate cross-functionally with other IT teams – for instance, work with Network and Security teams to ensure connectivity and policy alignment, and with the Help Desk to streamline support hand-offs. Develop and circulate clear documentation and diagrams for any architectural changes. This emphasis on knowledge sharing and teamwork ensures consistency and reliability in our operations.

Required Skills & Experience:

Experience: Minimum 5+ years of hands-on experience in IT infrastructure or systems engineering roles, with a focus on administering Microsoft 365 services. This should include substantial expertise in Exchange Server (2016/2019/SE) and Exchange Online administration in a hybrid environment, as well as managing Microsoft Teams at an enterprise level. Experience with SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business administration is required (even if not at the same depth as Exchange/Teams). Candidates should be able to point to specific accomplishments, such as having led an Exchange migration or a Teams deployment, that demonstrate their ability to manage and improve these services.

Technical Proficiencies: Deep knowledge of Microsoft 365 ecosystem and related technologies:

• Exchange: In-depth understanding of Exchange Server architecture and Exchange Online, including mail flow, transport rules, database availability groups (DAG), and hybrid configuration setup. Ability to manage and troubleshoot mail routing, client access (OAuth, Autodiscover), and mailbox permissions.
• Teams: Strong proficiency in Microsoft Teams administration, including configuring Teams policies (messaging, meeting, calling), managing voice features (Phone System with Direct Routing or Calling Plans, call queues, auto-attendants), and supporting Teams clients across desktop, mobile, and VDI.
• SharePoint/OneDrive: Good grasp of SharePoint Online structure (site collections, SPO admin center) and OneDrive for Business settings. Capable of managing permissions, sharing settings, storage quotas, and understanding how SharePoint/OneDrive integrate with Teams (files, OneDrive client).
• Azure AD & Identity: Solid understanding of Azure AD as it relates to Microsoft 365 (user and group management, licensing, guest user administration) and experience implementing Conditional Access policies and MFA for securing cloud access.
• Scripting: PowerShell expertise is a must - ability to efficiently automate tasks and query system status using PowerShell modules for Exchange Online, Azure AD, and Teams. Familiarity with other scripting or programming (Python, etc.) for automation is a plus.
• General Infrastructure: Strong understanding of Windows Server, Active Directory (on-prem), DNS, and networking fundamentals that underpin Exchange hybrid connectivity and Teams call quality (e.g., understanding of latency, bandwidth for VoIP). Experience using monitoring tools or admin center reports to track service health and usage.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent work experience can be substituted. Ongoing education or training in Microsoft 365 technologies is valued.

Soft Skills: Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with a methodical approach to diagnosing multifaceted issues across email, collaboration, and cloud services. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal - able to document procedures clearly and explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders when necessary. Proven ability to work independently as well as part of a team, managing personal workload and projects efficiently. Time management and project coordination skills are important, as this role will juggle daily operational tasks with longer-term initiatives. A customer-service mindset is crucial, given the impact of email and collaboration tools on every employee’s work; the candidate should be committed to maintaining a positive user experience.

Preferred Qualifications (Bonus Skills):

Certifications:

• Relevant Microsoft certifications will set candidates apart. Ideal certs include Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate (covers Exchange Online) and Teams Administrator Associate, or the all-encompassing Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert. These certifications demonstrate validated expertise in the specific Microsoft 365 workloads. Older certifications like MCSE: Messaging or MCITP for Exchange, or newer Azure certifications (Azure Administrator, etc.), are also beneficial.
• Advanced Microsoft 365 Knowledge: Experience with additional M365 services and advanced features is a plus. OneDrive data governance, or using Intune/Endpoint Manager for conditional access on devices complements this role. Knowledge of managing Teams in VDI/Citrix environments, is an advantage as it indicates the ability to handle a variety of deployment scenarios.
• Third-Party Tools & Integrations: Prior exposure to third-party tools related to M365 administration can be valuable. This might include experience with email hygiene and archiving solutions (e.g., Mimecast, Proofpoint), backup/recovery tools for Office 365, or monitoring solutions (like Martello Vantage, Quest). Experience integrating such tools or services with Exchange/SharePoint/Teams shows a broader understanding of the ecosystem.
• Large-Scale / Enterprise Environment: Having worked in a large enterprise or highly regulated industry (financial, healthcare, etc.) is beneficial. This background often means the candidate is familiar with large-scale user populations and strict compliance requirements - suc