System Engineer

Hello,

Greetings of the day!

Looking for a Systems Engineer – Operating Systems & Active Directory with one of our esteemed clients.

If you’re interested in exploring this opportunity, please feel free to share your updated resume at Ramesh.s@saxonglobal.com

Additionally, if you know someone in your network who might be a good fit and is currently open to new opportunities, I would greatly appreciate your referral.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Job Title: Systems Engineer – Operating Systems & Active Directory

Location: LA, Southern California (100% Onsite)

Duration: Contract

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly skilled and rigorous Systems Engineer specializing in Core Operating Systems and Active Directory (AD) infrastructure management. In this role, you will act as the digital architect and administrator for our enterprise Windows Server environments. You will be directly responsible for ensuring maximum system uptime, seamless identity and access governance, and hardened infrastructure security.

Note: This position requires 100% onsite attendance at our facility in Southern California. Remote or hybrid work arrangements are not available for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Active Directory Architecture & Management: Design, deploy, configure, and maintain enterprise AD Domain Services (AD DS), including managing forests, domains, trusts, schemas, and organizational units (OUs).
• Identity & Access Control: Oversee user authentication, security groups, role-based access controls (RBAC), and permissions alignment. Implement and manage AD Federation Services (AD FS) and AD Certificate Services (AD CS / PKI infrastructure).
• Policy & Device Governance: Architect, deploy, and troubleshoot complex Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to enforce security controls, desktop standards, compliance rules, and system configuration profiles across the enterprise network.
• Operating System Engineering: Install, configure, and administer Windows Server operating systems (Server 2016 through Server 2022/2025). Execute OS hardening utilizing industry-standard security baselines (such as CIS benchmarks).
• Infrastructure Health & Maintenance: Monitor system operations, analyze system performance metrics, and diagnose complex domain controller replication or authentication errors. Own the maintenance lifecycle via regular updates, security patches (WSUS/MECM), and automated system backups.
• Core Network Services: Administer and support critical infrastructural network services integrated with AD, including DNS resolution, DHCP deployment, and IP address management.
• Automation & Scripting: Leverage PowerShell scripting to automate repetitive administrative workflows, bulk account updates, audit logging, and data migrations.

Required Technical Skills & Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience as a Windows Systems Engineer or Active Directory Engineer within an enterprise environment.
• Active Directory Expertise: In-depth, practical knowledge of logical AD structures (forests, trees, domains, OUs), FSMO roles, replication topologies, and authentication protocols (Kerberos, NTLM, LDAP).
• OS & Server Mastery: Deep operational proficiency with Microsoft Windows Server infrastructure, OS deployment lifecycle, server hardware maintenance, and patch management methodologies.
• Core Networking: Robust understanding of network protocols and infrastructure dependencies, specifically DNS configuration and DHCP.
• Automation: Proven capability writing and maintaining PowerShell 7.x scripts for systems management and automation.
• Physical/Onsite Capability: Willingness and capability to work daily on-premise, including managing physical server deployments or hardware rack-ups as required.

Preferred Certifications (Plusses)

• Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate
• MCSE: Core Infrastructure (Legacy but highly relevant)
• CompTIA Security or equivalent infrastructure security certifications

Soft Skills

• Methodical & Rigorous: A highly organized and disciplined approach to infrastructure engineering, patch deployment, and change control documentation.
• Crisis Management: Ability to prioritize critical events efficiently and maintain a calm, methodical approach during high-priority system outages.
• Team Collaboration: Strong technical communication skills to align cleanly with cross-functional Network, Cloud, and Cybersecurity teams.