DescriptionLocation: Suitland, MD - Local candidates preferred; hybrid/on-site as needed. Primary location: REMOTE
Schedule: Supports East Coast business hours, 6:00 AM-3:00 PM ET
Salary: Starting at $122,000
Position SummaryWindows, Azure, Virtualization Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, securing, and maintaining enterprise Windows infrastructure, cloud environments, and virtualization platforms. This role requires hands-on experience with Windows Server administration, Microsoft cloud technologies, virtual machines (VMs), and Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM).
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in modernizing and securing Windows environments, managing Group Policy Objects (GPOs) through advanced change control and governance processes, and supporting cloud-based and hybrid infrastructure. Responsibilities include infrastructure optimization, automation, system migrations, security hardening, and troubleshooting complex technical issues across on-premises, virtualized, and cloud environments.
This position requires a hands-on technical professional who can work independently, collaborate with cross-functional IT teams, and provide technical guidance to junior team members. Local candidates must be available to work on-site as needed, typically two days per week.
Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesWindows Infrastructure & Advanced Group Policy Management- Design, implement, administer, and maintain enterprise Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and file services.
- Administer and manage Group Policy Objects (GPOs), including policy creation, configuration, testing, troubleshooting, and optimization.
- Implement and manage Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), including controlled change management, version control, approval workflows, auditing, and rollback of Group Policy changes.
- Troubleshoot complex Active Directory, Group Policy, authentication, and Windows configuration issues across enterprise environments.
- Manage Windows operating system deployments, patching, upgrades, configuration standards, and lifecycle maintenance.
- Administer Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM/MECM), Windows Autopilot, and Microsoft Entra ID as applicable to the environment.
- Develop and maintain PowerShell scripts to automate infrastructure administration, configuration, reporting, and operational tasks.
Cloud Infrastructure & Virtualization- Design, configure, administer, and optimize virtualized infrastructure, including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and cloud-hosted virtual machines.
- Support Microsoft Azure infrastructure services, including virtual machines, networking, storage, identity integration, monitoring, and security.
- Manage VM provisioning, configuration, performance monitoring, capacity planning, patching, and lifecycle management.
- Support hybrid infrastructure integrating on-premises Windows environments with Microsoft Azure and other cloud services.
- Troubleshoot VM performance, resource allocation, availability, connectivity, and operating system issues.
- Participate in cloud migration, infrastructure modernization, and workload optimization initiatives.
- Implement and maintain backup, recovery, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions for virtualized and cloud environments.
- Identify opportunities to improve scalability, reliability, security, and operational efficiency through cloud and virtualization technologies.
Windows Security & Compliance- Implement and maintain Windows security controls, including AGPM/GPO security configurations, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for Servers, BitLocker, and Windows Firewall.
- Apply security baselines, hardening standards, least-privilege access, multifactor authentication, and identity management controls.
- Monitor vulnerabilities, security events, and configuration compliance; coordinate remediation and corrective actions.
- Maintain secure configuration and change management practices for Windows servers, endpoints, virtual machines, and cloud resources.
- Support security assessments, audits, compliance reviews, and incident response activities in coordination with cybersecurity teams.
- Ensure infrastructure configurations align with organizational security policies and applicable compliance requirements.
Infrastructure Operations & Technical Leadership- Troubleshoot and resolve complex Windows, cloud, virtualization, and infrastructure issues.
- Lead or support infrastructure migrations, upgrades, modernization projects, and new technology implementations.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation, architecture diagrams, configuration records, and operational procedures.
- Collaborate with cloud, networking, cybersecurity, application, and service desk teams to maintain reliable enterprise services.
- Evaluate emerging Microsoft, cloud, and virtualization technologies and recommend practical improvements.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior administrators and engineers.
Professional QualificationsEducation & Experience- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in Windows infrastructure administration, systems engineering, or enterprise IT infrastructure.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience administering Windows Server environments and enterprise Active Directory.
- Hands-on experience with Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), including GPO change control, versioning, approvals, and rollback.
- Experience supporting cloud infrastructure and virtualized environments, with an emphasis on Microsoft Azure and VM administration.
- Ability to work on-site in the Fairfax, VA area as needed, approximately two days per week.
Required Technical Skills- Windows Server administration (2016, 2019, 2022, and newer versions).
- Active Directory, Group Policy Objects (GPOs), AGPM, DNS, DHCP, and PKI.
- Microsoft Azure infrastructure and cloud-hosted virtual machines.
- Virtualization platforms such as VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V.
- Microsoft Entra ID and hybrid identity environments.
- PowerShell scripting and infrastructure automation.
- Windows patch management, security hardening, and vulnerability remediation.
- Cloud and VM monitoring, troubleshooting, resource optimization, and lifecycle management.
- Backup, recovery, storage, and disaster recovery fundamentals.
- Enterprise networking concepts, including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, VPNs, routing, switching, and firewalls.
- Enterprise security controls, configuration management, and compliance best practices.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience migrating workloads from on-premises infrastructure to cloud or hybrid environments.
- Experience with Azure Monitor, Azure Backup, Azure networking, and cloud security controls.
- Experience with Microsoft Defender security solutions and Microsoft endpoint management tools.
- Experience automating routine infrastructure tasks and configuration management with PowerShell.
- Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code or configuration automation tools.
Preferred CertificationsMicrosoft- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate
Other relevant certifications- VMware certifications or equivalent hands-on virtualization experience.
- Microsoft or vendor-specific certifications related to cloud infrastructure, virtualization, or systems administration.
