VMware Windows AD Administrator

Position: VMware Windows AD Administrator



Rate- $45/hr on C2C



Location- Irvine, CA-onsite Local Preffered


Any visa is fine.



Description



We are seeking a Senior Active Directory Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and operation of an enterprise Active Directory environment as part of a major implementation project. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong architectural skills, and hands-on delivery experience in complex AD environments.



The ideal candidate will have 6-10 + years of experience working with Microsoft Active Directory in large-scale or enterprise environments and will be comfortable owning the solution from architecture through steady-state operations.






Key Responsibilities



Active Directory Architecture & Design



Design enterprise-grade Active Directory architectures, including:



o Forest and domain design



o Trust relationships (internal and external)



o OU structure, delegation models, and naming standards



Define Group Policy (GPO) strategy aligned with security and operational requirements



Design identity lifecycle management processes (joiners, movers, leavers)



Ensure architectural alignment with security and operational best practices



Active Directory Improvement & Optimization



Perform current-state assessments of the customer s AD environment



Identify and remediate gaps related to:



o Security posture



o Performance and replication health



o Operational inefficiencies



o Technical debt from legacy configurations



Improve and optimize:



o Group Policy Objects (cleanup, consolidation, redesign)



o AD Sites and Services and replication topology



o DNS and domain controller placement



Implement non-disruptive enhancements to existing environments, minimizing business impact



Plan and execute phased improvement activities with clear risk mitigation and rollback strategies



Security & Best Practices



Implement AD security best practices, including:



o Tiered administration models (e.g., Tier 0/1/2)



o Privileged access management



o Secure administrative delegation



Harden Active Directory against common attack vectors



Support incident response related to identity or directory services



Collaborate with security teams on identity-related controls



Documentation & Knowledge Transfer



Produce detailed architecture diagrams, implementation documents, and SOPs



Create operational guides and troubleshooting documentation



Conduct knowledge transfer sessions for operations and support teams



Required Qualifications



10+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Active Directory in enterprise environments



Strong experience across the full AD lifecycle:



o Design



o Implementation



o Migration



o Operations



Deep technical knowledge of:



o Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)



o DNS and AD-integrated DNS



o Group Policy design and troubleshooting



o AD replication and topology



Proven experience leading AD implementation or transformation projects



Strong PowerShell skills for AD administration and automation



Solid understanding of Windows Server internals and authentication mechanisms (Kerberos, NTLM)



Preferred Qualifications



Experience with hybrid identity solutions:



o Azure AD / Microsoft Entra ID



o Azure AD Connect / Cloud Sync



Experience with:



o Multi-forest or multi-domain environments



o M&A-related AD consolidation projects



Familiarity with identity security tools (e.g., PAM, MFA integrations)



Microsoft certifications (preferred, not mandatory):



o Windows Server



o Identity and Access Management



Experience working in regulated or security-sensitive environments



Soft Skills & Attributes



Strong problem-solving and analytical skills



Ability to work independently and take ownership of critical systems



Excellent communication skills for:



o Technical teams



o Project stakeholders



o Management



Comfortable working in high-pressure implementation environments



Strong documentation and presentation skills