Active Directory Architect

Active Directory Architect

Experience : 6+ years of relevant experience, including 2+ years in an Active Directory Architecture or similar role.

Location : UAE

Position Summary

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.

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