Senior System Administrator

Job Title: Senior Systems Administrator / Active Directory Architect

Description & Requirements:

This role is Hybrid in Oxnard, CA(3 days Onsite/week) & it’s a 6 months contract

KORE1, a nationwide provider of staffing and recruiting solutions, has an immediate opening for a Senior Systems Administrator / Active Directory Architect in Oxnard, CA

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Senior Systems Administrator / Active Directory Architect to support, stabilize, and improve the organization's core IT infrastructure. This is an individual contributor and requires someone who can operate effectively at both the architectural and hands-on technical levels.

Active Directory is a foundational technology supporting the organization's broader IT environment, making strong AD expertise essential to the success of this position. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in an environment where some systems and configurations may need to be corrected, modernized, or properly implemented.

This is an ideal opportunity for a technically strong Systems Architect or Active Directory Engineer Architect who enjoys solving complex infrastructure problems, improving system reliability, and working hands-on with enterprise systems while also bringing strong architectural and design knowledge.

Essential Responsibilities

• Architect, design, implement, administer, and support Microsoft Active Directory and related identity and Windows infrastructure in a multiple domain and forrest environment.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for Active Directory, including AD architecture, domain services, Group Policy, organizational units, authentication, permissions, replication, DNS integration, and overall directory health.
• Architect, install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Windows Server and Windows Operating Systems across the enterprise environment.
• Analyze existing infrastructure and identify systems, configurations, and processes that are broken, misconfigured, outdated, or have not been properly implemented.
• Perform hands-on troubleshooting and remediation of complex Windows and Active Directory issues, including diagnosing root causes and implementing sustainable solutions.
• Provide high-level architectural and design expertise while remaining highly hands-on with day-to-day infrastructure troubleshooting, configuration, and remediation.
• Manage and maintain Windows Server infrastructure and physical server hardware, including installation, configuration, upgrades, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management.
• Support system and application patching activities, including remediation of vulnerabilities.
• Develop and maintain appropriate system configuration and management standards to improve infrastructure stability, security, and operational consistency.
• Administer and support enterprise systems and infrastructure, ensuring high levels of availability, reliability, performance, and security.
• Monitor system health, performance, availability, and capacity using enterprise monitoring and management tools.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure and system issues across Windows, Active Directory, servers, and related technologies.
• Utilize PowerShell and/or Python to automate administrative tasks, system management, configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting activities.
• Manage the lifecycle of infrastructure and hardware assets, including deployment, upgrades, maintenance, replacement, and retirement.
• Support certificate lifecycle management, including certificate installation, renewal, troubleshooting, and trust chain validation.
• Work collaboratively with networking and other infrastructure teams to troubleshoot issues that cross system, server, identity, and network boundaries.
• Assist with infrastructure improvements, modernization initiatives, and the implementation of best practices across the Windows and Active Directory environment.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, system configurations, procedures, and operational knowledge.
• Participate in change management and ensure infrastructure changes are properly planned, documented, tested, and implemented.
• Identify opportunities to improve system reliability, security, performance, and operational efficiency.
• Provide technical expertise and hands-on support for projects involving enterprise infrastructure, Active Directory, Windows systems, and related technologies.

Required Qualifications & Technical Skills

Must Have:

• Strong, hands-on experience administering and supporting Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services in an enterprise environment.
• Strong experience with Windows Server and Windows operating systems.
• Experience with Active Directory architecture, administration, troubleshooting, and configuration.
• Ability to diagnose and remediate complex infrastructure and configuration issues.
• Experience managing and troubleshooting server hardware and enterprise server infrastructure.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using PowerShell and/or Python.
• Ability to operate at both a high-level architectural/design level and a hands-on engineering/troubleshooting level.
• Demonstrated experience identifying infrastructure gaps and taking ownership of correcting systems that are broken, misconfigured, or improperly implemented.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of infrastructure issues from identification through resolution.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise networking technologies and infrastructure.
• Experience with Cisco networking technologies.
• Experience with Cisco Meraki environments.
• Experience troubleshooting issues involving the intersection of Active Directory, Windows Server, DNS, networking, and authentication.
• Experience with enterprise monitoring and infrastructure management tools.
• Experience with certificate management and PKI-related technologies.
• Experience with infrastructure lifecycle management and hardware refresh initiatives.
• Experience with backup and disaster recovery technologies.
• Familiarity with RPO/RTO concepts and enterprise business continuity requirements.
• Experience working in environments with formal change management and documentation processes.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• The ideal candidate is not simply a generalist Systems Administrator. We are looking for a technically strong Senior Systems Architect / Active Directory Architect who has deep Active Directory expertise and can also work broadly across the Windows infrastructure stack.
• This person should be comfortable moving between architectural design and hands-on execution—someone who can assess the environment from a high level, identify what needs to be fixed or improved, and then personally dive into the systems to troubleshoot, configure, repair, and implement the necessary solutions.
• The successful candidate will be a hands-on problem solver who is comfortable inheriting an existing environment, quickly assessing its operational state, and taking ownership of stabilizing and improving the infrastructure.

Work Environment

• Onsite in Oxnard, CA
• 6 month contract opportunity
• This role requires a highly hands-on technical presence and the ability to work directly with enterprise infrastructure team and systems.