Active Directory Administrator

Role & responsibilities

Role Overview

The L3 Active Directory Administrator serves as the highest level of technical support for Identity and Access

Management services, focusing on Active Directory (AD), Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), and hybrid identity

environments. The role is responsible for architecture reviews, complex issue resolution, security hardening,

automation, infrastructure optimization, and providing technical leadership for L1/L2 teams.

Key Responsibilities

Active Directory Administration

• Lead management and optimization of enterprise AD infrastructure including Domain Controllers, DNS,

DHCP, Sites, Trusts, and Forests.

• Resolve complex replication, authentication, trust, Kerberos, DNS, and directory service issues.
• Design, review, and implement enterprise-wide Group Policy strategies.
• Manage and optimize FSMO roles, AD Sites and Services, and domain consolidation activities.
• Perform proactive AD health assessments, capacity planning, and infrastructure remediation.
• Support AD migrations, schema updates, domain upgrades, and disaster recovery planning.

Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)

• Administer and manage Microsoft Entra ID services across enterprise environments.
• Design and implement Conditional Access Policies, MFA strategies, Identity Protection, and Zero Trust

initiatives.

• Troubleshoot advanced provisioning, federation, synchronization, and authentication issues.
• Manage Azure AD Connect / Cloud Sync architecture and hybrid identity design.
• Support enterprise SSO integrations with SaaS and custom applications.
• Provide guidance on Entra ID governance, lifecycle management, and security best practices.

Identity & Access Management

• Design and govern RBAC models and privileged access management controls.
• Manage privileged identities and administrative access controls.
• Review, optimize, and enforce identity governance and compliance requirements.
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring IAM incidents.

Security & Compliance

• Drive security hardening initiatives for AD and Entra environments.
• Implement and review password policies, authentication controls, auditing, and monitoring.
• Investigate identity-related security incidents and coordinate remediation activities.
• Support internal and external audits by providing compliance evidence and documentation.
• Recommend and implement Zero Trust and least-privilege security frameworks.

Automation & Scripting

• Develop advanced PowerShell automation frameworks and reusable modules.
• Automate provisioning, de-provisioning, reporting, compliance monitoring, and operational tasks.
• Create self-healing scripts and operational runbooks to improve service reliability.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Establish monitoring standards and alerting mechanisms for AD and Entra ID services.
• Analyze and report on service performance, security posture, and availability metrics.
• Maintain architecture documentation, SOPs, knowledge articles, and recovery procedures.

Incident, Problem & Change Management

• Act as final escalation point for L1 and L2 teams.
• Lead major incident resolution and bridge calls.
• Perform detailed root cause analysis and implement permanent fixes.
• Review and approve changes impacting AD and Entra ID environments.
• Mentor L1/L2 administrators and provide technical guidance.

Required Skills & Competencies

Technical Skills

• Expert knowledge of Active Directory architecture (Domains, Forests, Sites, Trusts, Replication, DNS).
• Strong expertise in Group Policy design and troubleshooting.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID and hybrid identity solutions.
• Deep understanding of Azure AD Connect, Federation Services, SSO, MFA, Conditional Access, and Identity

Protection.

• Strong experience with Kerberos, NTLM, LDAP, LDAPS, PKI, and authentication technologies.
• Advanced PowerShell scripting and automation expertise.
• Experience with Windows Server administration and identity security best practices.
• Knowledge of Intune, PIM, Access Reviews, and Identity Governance is preferred.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to lead critical incident management activities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Mentoring and technical leadership capabilities.

Certifications (Preferred)

• Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate.
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
• Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate.
• ITIL Foundation / ITIL Practitioner.
• Relevant Microsoft Security Certifications.

Experience

• 610+ years of experience in Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, and Identity & Access Management.
• Strong experience supporting large-scale hybrid identity environments.
• Proven experience handling enterprise-level escalations, migrations, and security initiatives.