Senior Active Directory Engineer

Prodapt•Irving, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Prodapt is 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 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 in Irvine, CA onsite role.

Requirements

10+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Active Directory in enterprise environments
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).
Strong experience across the full AD lifecycle: Design, Implementation, Migration, Operations
Deep technical knowledge of: Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), DNS and AD-integrated DNS, Group Policy design and troubleshooting, 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)

Nice To Haves

Experience with hybrid identity solutions: Azure AD / Microsoft Entra ID, Azure AD Connect / Cloud Sync
Experience with: Multi-forest or multi-domain environments, M&A-related AD consolidation projects
Familiarity with identity security tools (e.g., PAM, MFA integrations)
Microsoft certifications (preferred, not mandatory): Windows Server, Identity and Access Management
Experience working in regulated or security-sensitive environments
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
Ability to work independently and take ownership of critical systems
Excellent communication skills for: Technical teams, Project stakeholders, Management
Comfortable working in high-pressure implementation environments
Strong documentation and presentation skills

Responsibilities

Design enterprise-grade Active Directory architectures, including: Forest and domain design, Trust relationships (internal and external), 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
Perform current-state assessments of the customer’s AD environment
Identify and remediate gaps related to: Security posture, Performance and replication health, Operational inefficiencies, Technical debt from legacy configurations
Improve and optimize: Group Policy Objects (cleanup, consolidation, redesign), AD Sites and Services and replication topology, 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
Implement AD security best practices, including: Tiered administration models (e.g., Tier 0/1/2), Privileged access management, 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
Produce detailed architecture diagrams, implementation documents, and SOPs
Create operational guides and troubleshooting documentation
Conduct knowledge transfer sessions for operations and support teams