Cloud Engineer

Planet Technologies, the Nation’s leading Microsoft services provider to the public sector, is looking for a highly motivated individual to join our growing team as Cloud Infrastructure Engineer. In this role, you will be supporting impactful projects that make a difference for our country. The Senior Identity and Messaging Engineer is responsible for supporting, maintaining, securing, and enhancing enterprise identity and messaging services across on-premises and Microsoft cloud environments.

This hands-on role administers and engineers Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Exchange Server, Exchange Online, and the hybrid services that connect them in a complex federal environment. Must have existing Top Secret and/or DOE Q Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Active Directory Administration & Engineering: Design, implement, configure, and maintain multi-domain and multi-forest Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services infrastructure, including trusts, Flexible Single Master Operations roles, domain controller lifecycle management, schema changes, functional-level upgrades, and disaster recovery. Manage Domain Controllers, Group Policy Objects (GPOs), DNS, DHCP, Sites and Services, and Active Directory replication. Perform schema modifications, forest and domain functional level upgrades, and disaster recovery planning. Harden Active Directory using tiered administration, Local Administrator Password Solution, privileged access workstations, Microsoft Defender for Identity, and findings from tools such as PingCastle and Purple Knight. Monitor and optimize AD performance, health, and security.
• Exchange Administration & Engineering: Administer and support Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Server Subscription Edition, and Exchange Online, including Database Availability Groups, transport services, certificates, cumulative updates, security updates, and high-availability configurations. Manage mailbox provisioning, migrations, retention policies, archive solutions, and email routing. Build, maintain, and troubleshoot Exchange hybrid deployments using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard, organization relationships, free/busy services, mail flow connectors, and centralized mail transport.
• Identity & Access Management: Implement and support Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory). Deploy, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Microsoft Entra Connect and Entra Cloud Sync. Configure and troubleshoot hybrid authentication using Password Hash Synchronization, Pass-through Authentication, and Active Directory Federation Services. Implement Single Sign-On, Conditional Access, Multi-Factor Authentication, Privileged Identity Management, and phishing-resistant authentication.
• Network and Infrastructure: Work within segmented, multi-enclave federal networks to maintain Active Directory replication, authentication, directory synchronization, and mail flow across firewalls, VLANs, proxies, and security zones. Troubleshoot connectivity with Wireshark, netsh, pktmon, port testing, packet captures, and log analysis.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance: Ensure systems comply with DOE requirements, NIST Special Publication 800-53, FISMA, FedRAMP, DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides, and applicable CISA Secure Cloud Business Applications baselines. Support audits, security assessments, and compliance reporting activities.
• Automation & Engineering: Develop and maintain PowerShell and Microsoft Graph automation for administration, reporting, monitoring, user lifecycle management, mailbox provisioning, group management, and repeatable operational tasks.
• Operations Support: Provide Tier III escalation support for identity and messaging-related issues. Participate in on-call support rotations as required.

Qualification

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or related field with 7 or more years of experience administering Active Directory in enterprise environments, including multi-domain or multi-forest architectures. 5 or more years of experience administering Exchange Server, including hands-on responsibility for at least one Exchange hybrid deployment, and three or more years supporting Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, and Exchange Online.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing Exchange Hybrid environments.
• Experience with Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Purview, and Microsoft Sentinel.
• Experience with CyberArk, Beyond Trust, or other Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions.
• Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as VMware or Hyper-V.

Certifications (Preferred)

• Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300)
• Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert (MS-102)
• CompTIA Security+ or another DoD 8140-qualifying certification

Planet Technologies does not discriminate in employment opportunities, terms and conditions of employment, or practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, gender, religious or political beliefs, national origin or heritage, disability, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.