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Cognizant Consulting
Active Directory SMECognizant Consulting • Chennai, India
Active Directory SME

Active Directory SME

Cognizant Consulting • Chennai, India
30+ days ago
Job description
Bengaluru, India | Onsite | Full-time | 7–10 Years Experience

About The Role

We are a leading global financial institution looking for a seasoned Active Directory Subject Matter Expert to join our enterprise infrastructure team in Bengaluru. This is a senior technical role that demands deep expertise across directory services, identity management, and core Windows infrastructure — combined with the leadership presence to guide and mentor a high-performing team.

You will be responsible for the stability, security, and scalability of our Active Directory environment while playing a key role in transformation, migration, and modernisation initiatives across the organisation.

What You Will Do

Infrastructure Management

  • Manage and maintain Active Directory infrastructure including domain controllers, forests, trusts, and replication
  • Administer and troubleshoot DNS and DHCP services to ensure high availability and consistent performance
  • Design, implement, and manage Group Policies (GPOs) to enforce security and operational standards across the environment
  • Deploy and manage Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Microsoft Certificate Services throughout the certificate lifecycle
  • Administer and support Distributed File System (DFS) for data replication and access management
  • Manage Microsoft Key Management Services (KMS) to ensure licensing compliance

Operations & Engineering

  • Perform root cause analysis and advanced troubleshooting for complex infrastructure-related issues
  • Automate administrative tasks and operational workflows using PowerShell scripting
  • Monitor system performance, availability, and capacity to ensure proactive infrastructure health
  • Ensure adherence to security best practices and regulatory compliance standards

Collaboration & Transformation

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams on migrations, upgrades, and enterprise transformation initiatives
  • Support planned change activities to minimise risk and operational disruption
  • Contribute to documentation, SOPs, and knowledge base maintenance

Leadership & Mentorship

  • Act as the technical lead and go-to SME for the team on all Active Directory and identity-related matters
  • Provide guidance and mentorship to junior and senior engineers
  • Engage with stakeholders at all levels with clarity, confidence, and ownership

Technical Skills Required

  • Active Directory (ADDS) — Architecture, design, upgrade, and migration
  • DNS & DHCP — Configuration, troubleshooting, and optimisation
  • Group Policy (GPO) — Design, implementation, and troubleshooting
  • PKI & Certificate Services — Deployment and full lifecycle management
  • DFS — Namespaces and replication
  • Microsoft KMS — Setup and ongoing maintenance
  • PowerShell — Advanced scripting and automation
  • Windows Server — 2016 / 2019 / 2022 administration

Good to Have

  • Experience with Azure AD and Hybrid Identity environments
  • Knowledge of Active Directory security hardening and auditing tools
  • Exposure to ITIL processes — Incident, Change, and Problem Management
  • Hands-on experience in migration, consolidation, or infrastructure transformation projects

Certifications (Preferred)

  • Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Administrator or Azure Administrator
  • MCSE or equivalent

What You Bring

  • 7–10 years of progressive experience in enterprise Active Directory and Windows infrastructure environments
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities with a structured approach to troubleshooting
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
  • Ability to lead with authority and collaborate with humility in a fast-paced enterprise setting
  • A disciplined, security-conscious mindset with a commitment to operational excellence

Skills Required
Dfs, Dns, Dhcp, Powershell
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Active Directory SME • Chennai, India

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