Active Directory Architect

• Active Directory domain and forest migrations
• Domain consolidation, M&A, and divestiture experience
• Quest Migration Manager (QMM) and Quest Migrator Pro expertise
• Windows server migration and dependency analysis
• Enterprise-scale identity transformation programs
• Strong customer-facing consulting and architecture skills

Given the nature of the opportunity, we're looking for someone who can quickly establish technical credibility and provide immediate value in discussions related to AD migration strategy, discovery, dependency assessment, and migration execution. Again, due to the sensitive nature of the position the resource must be a US based citizen.

Job Description: Active Directory (AD) Migration Architect

Position Title-Active Directory Migration Architect

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Active Directory Migration Architect with extensive experience in AD Domain Consolidation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Divestitures, Forest Migrations, and Enterprise Identity Transformations. The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing target-state Active Directory environments, developing migration strategies, and leading complex migration projects involving users, groups, servers, applications, and infrastructure dependencies.

The candidate must possess strong hands-on expertise with Quest Migration Manager (QMM) / Quest Migrator Pro, and have a proven track record of successfully migrating server workloads across domains and forests by identifying, assessing, and mitigating Active Directory-related dependencies.

Key Responsibilities

Active Directory Architecture & Design

• Design and implement enterprise-scale Active Directory architectures for domain consolidation, M&A integration, and divestiture initiatives.
• Define target-state identity and authentication architectures, including:
  • Single forest and multi-forest designs
  • Domain consolidation strategies
  • Organizational Unit (OU) structures
  • Group Policy design and rationalization
  • DNS and namespace planning
  • Trust relationship design
  • Hybrid identity integration with Microsoft Entra ID
• Conduct Active Directory health assessments, discovery workshops, and design reviews.

Migration Planning & Strategy

• Lead end-to-end planning and execution of Active Directory migration projects.
• Develop migration approaches for:
  • Domain-to-domain migrations
  • Forest-to-forest migrations
  • Domain consolidations
  • M&A integrations
  • Divestitures and carve-out programs
• Create migration runbooks, cutover plans, rollback strategies, and coexistence models.
• Define migration waves and sequencing based on business, infrastructure, and application dependencies.

Quest Migration Manager / Migrator Pro

• Architect and execute migrations using:
  • Quest Migration Manager (QMM)
  • Quest Migrator Pro
• Configure directory synchronization, object migration, and coexistence solutions.
• Plan and execute SID History migration and security translation activities.
• Lead workstation, server, file share, and application migration initiatives.
• Troubleshoot complex migration challenges and optimize migration performance.

Server Migration & Dependency Assessment

• Assess and migrate Windows server workloads across domains and forests.
• Identify and analyze server dependencies including:
  • Service accounts
  • Scheduled tasks
  • File shares and permissions
  • Application authentication mechanisms
  • SQL Server integrations
  • IIS and web application dependencies
  • Clustered services
  • Exchange and messaging dependencies
  • DNS and certificate dependencies
• Develop server migration strategies with minimal business disruption.
• Coordinate application validation and post-migration testing activities.
• Ensure proper security translation and access continuity after migration.

Application and Infrastructure Integration

• Work closely with application owners to identify AD dependencies.
• Evaluate authentication methods such as:
  • Kerberos
  • NTLM
  • LDAP
  • SAML
  • Integrated Windows Authentication
• Remediate application and server dependencies prior to migration.
• Define coexistence strategies for applications during phased migration approaches.

Security & Governance

• Ensure migrations align with Microsoft security best practices.
• Design and implement:
  • Privileged access controls
  • Tiered administration models
  • Active Directory hardening standards
  • Identity governance controls
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation plans for identity transformations.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with infrastructure, security, application, networking, and project management teams.
• Present migration strategies and architectural recommendations to executive stakeholders.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to migration engineers and implementation teams.

Required Experience

• 10+ years of experience managing and architecting Microsoft Active Directory environments.
• 5+ years of experience leading large-scale AD migration and consolidation projects.
• Proven experience delivering:
  • AD domain consolidation projects
  • Forest-to-forest migrations
  • M&A integration programs
  • Divestiture and carve-out initiatives
• Demonstrated experience migrating Windows servers between domains while identifying and remediating AD-dependent services and applications.
• Experience working within large global enterprise environments.
• US Based

Technical Skills

Active Directory & Identity

• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Group Policy Management
• DNS, DHCP, LDAP, Kerberos
• PKI and Certificate Services
• Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
• Entra Connect / Azure AD Connect
• Hybrid Identity Solutions

Migration Technologies

• Quest Migration Manager (QMM)
• Quest Migrator Pro
• Quest ODM
• PowerShell Automation
• Identity synchronization and coexistence technologies

Server & Infrastructure

• Windows Server (2012/2016/2019/2022)
• File Server Migration
• IIS
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Failover Clustering
• Service Account Migration
• Enterprise Application Integration

Documentation & Governance

• High-Level Design (HLD)
• Low-Level Design (LLD)
• Migration Runbooks
• Cutover Plans
• Rollback Procedures
• Risk and Dependency Assessments