About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Active Directory Architect to lead the design and technical governance of enterprise directory and identity services. This is a hands-on architecture role covering Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), forest and domain architecture, Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, PKI, hybrid identity, security, resilience, and disaster recovery. The role will ensure directory services are secure, scalable, resilient, and well-governed.
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Key Responsibilities
- Lead Active Directory architecture and solution design across enterprise environments.
- Design and maintain AD forest and domain architecture, sites and services, trusts, and replication topology.
- Define Group Policy (GPO) strategy and Organizational Unit (OU) structures.
- Design and govern DNS, DHCP, and PKI integration.
- Define privileged access, administrative tiering, and delegation models.
- Design Active Directory High Availability (HA), resilience, backup, and disaster recovery solutions.
- Define domain controller placement, FSMO role strategy, and replication architecture.
- Design and support hybrid identity integration using Microsoft Entra ID and Azure AD Connect.
- Define Active Directory security hardening, access controls, and technical standards.
- Develop and maintain High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documentation.
- Evaluate directory and identity technologies and provide technical recommendations.
- Provide technical guidance to Windows Server and identity engineering teams.
- Lead Active Directory architecture, security, and resilience reviews.
- Support troubleshooting and resolution of complex directory, authentication, and identity issues.
- Review implementations to ensure alignment with approved architecture and security standards.
Technical Requirements
- Strong experience with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
- Strong knowledge of forest/domain architecture, sites and services, replication, trusts, and FSMO roles.
- Experience with Group Policy (GPO) and Organizational Unit (OU) design.
- Strong knowledge of DNS, DHCP, and PKI integration.
- Experience with privileged-access and administrative tiering models.
- Strong experience with hybrid identity technologies, including Microsoft Entra ID and Azure AD Connect.
- Knowledge of federation and enterprise authentication technologies.
- Experience with Active Directory backup, recovery, resilience, and disaster recovery.
- Strong knowledge of Windows Server environments.
- Experience with PowerShell scripting and automation.
- Experience with Active Directory security hardening and delegation.
- Experience producing HLD, LLD, architecture diagrams, and technical standards.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
- 6+ years of relevant experience, including at least 2+ years in Active Directory Architecture or a similar role.
- Relevant Microsoft identity or Windows Server certification is preferred.
- ITIL 4 Foundation is preferred.
- Security or identity architecture certifications are an advantage.
- Strong technical leadership and team collaboration skills.
- Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.
Key Skills
Active Directory | AD DS | Microsoft Entra ID | Azure AD Connect | Group Policy | GPO | OU Design | DNS | DHCP | PKI | Forest & Domain Design | Sites & Services | FSMO | AD Replication | Hybrid Identity | PowerShell | Active Directory Security | HA / DR | HLD / LLD
