layiq

/la·yiq/adjective

worthy; deserving; fitting; suitable.

A role, opportunity, or path that merits attention, time, and pursuit.

LAYIQ - Cloud Engineer at Planet Technologies

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. Design, maintain, or support administrative forest and tiered administration architectures, and advise customers on transitioning from legacy ESAE or Red Forest models to Microsoft's Enterprise Access Model where appropriate.
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. Plan and execute remote-move, cutover, and cross-tenant mailbox migrations with minimal disruption to users.
Manage Exchange Online Protection and Microsoft Defender for Office 365, including SPF, DKIM, DMARC, transport rules, anti-spam, anti-phishing, and email encryption controls. Support retention, eDiscovery, litigation hold, journaling, and Microsoft Purview compliance workloads.
Support email continuity, backup, recovery, and high-availability configurations.
Identity & Access Management
Implement and support Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory).
Deploy, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Microsoft Entra Connect and Entra Cloud Sync, including scoping and filtering, attribute flow, source anchor decisions, synchronization monitoring, and error remediation.
Configure and troubleshoot hybrid authentication using Password Hash Synchronization, Pass-through Authentication, and Active Directory Federation Services, and support migrations away from federation where appropriate. Implement Single Sign-On, Conditional Access, Multi-Factor Authentication, Privileged Identity Management, and phishing-resistant authentication using PIV/CAC and certificate-based authentication.
Participate in identity governance and role-based access control initiatives.
Collaborate with security teams to enforce Zero Trust architecture principles.
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.
Identify and document required ports, protocols, Microsoft 365 endpoints, and GCC High or DoD-specific allow-list requirements.
Troubleshoot connectivity with Wireshark, netsh, pktmon, port testing, packet captures, and log analysis to isolate identity, application, and network failures.
Configure and troubleshoot split-brain and conditional DNS, forwarders, load balancers, VPN, SD-WAN, ExpressRoute, TIC 3.0 paths, DMZ services, and disconnected or cross-domain environments as applicable.
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 Authority to Operate activities, security control assessments, audit evidence requests, vulnerability remediation, and compliance reporting.
Perform vulnerability remediation, security hardening, and patch management.
Support audits, security assessments, and compliance reporting activities.
Implement security baselines and monitor for unauthorized changes or suspicious activity.
Assist with incident response and forensic investigations involving identity and messaging systems.
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.
Automate user lifecycle management, mailbox provisioning, and group management processes.
Produce solution designs, operational runbooks, standard operating procedures, as-built documentation, port and protocol matrices, and technical diagrams that meet federal documentation and audit standards.
Support enterprise modernization initiatives involving Microsoft 365 and cloud migrations.
Operations Support
Provide Tier III escalation support for identity and messaging-related issues.
Participate in on-call support rotations as required.
Troubleshoot complex authentication, replication, Exchange, and directory synchronization issues.
Coordinate maintenance activities and planned outages.
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.
Experience supporting enterprise environments with 5,000+ users preferred.
Senior-level experience supporting federal government customers onsite, with a demonstrated record of working effectively with government program managers, CIO staff, security officers, and contractors in professional, multi-vendor environments.
Demonstrated knowledge of TCP/IP, routing, subnetting, Network Address Translation, VLANs, firewalls, DNS, PKI and certificates, SMTP, Kerberos, and LDAP. Proven ability to diagnose network-related authentication, directory synchronization, and mail flow failures using packet capture, port testing, and log analysis in environments with strict change control.
PowerShell scripting and automation
Microsoft 365 Administration
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Certificate Services (PKI)
Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)
Windows Server Administration
Infrastructure: Windows Server (2003-2025), Active Directory / GPO, Hyper-V & VMware, DHCP / DNS / NPS
Security & Compliance
: DISA STIGs, Trellix EPO / HIPS, Vulnerability Scanners, (ACAS / Nessus)
Systems Management: MECM / SCCM, Exchange Server (2003-2019), Microsoft Active Directory, Entra ID and Azure AD Connect, Domain Services (AD DS), Red Hat / Linux+, Orchestrator / PowerShell

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.
Experience supporting Zero Trust initiatives.
Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as VMware or Hyper-V.
Experience administering Microsoft 365 in GCC, GCC High, or DoD tenants, including government-specific endpoints, security controls, service limitations, and hybrid connectivity requirements.
Experience with PIV/CAC authentication, federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management requirements, administrative forest or ESAE/Red Forest architectures, one-way trusts, shadow principals, bastion forests, or Microsoft Identity Manager Privileged Access Management.
Familiarity with Active Directory consolidation, domain migrations, tenant-to-tenant migrations, Azure networking, TIC 3.0, Zero Trust network architecture, and cross-domain solutions.
Certifications (Preferred)
Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300)
Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert (MS-102)
Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate (MS-203 legacy)
CompTIA Security+ or another DoD 8140-qualifying certification
CCNA, Network+, or equivalent networking certification
CISSP
GIAC Certifications
ITIL Foundation
Planet Technologies is the leading provider of Microsoft Consulting Services to public sector and commercial organizations. Planet has significant experience in deploying business intelligence, cloud services, unified communications, and systems management with an emphasis building, deploying, and managing custom solutions that transform the business operations of federal government agencies.
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.
Select positions at Planet Technologies have Federal Agency Clearance Requirements and may require up to a 10-year background investigation and/or US Citizenship (clearable).
Salaries for Cloud Infrastructure Engineer at Planet Technologies range from $160,000 and $200,000.
Several factors will impact final pay offered to a successful candidate including but not limited to the type and years of experience within the job, clearance level, the type of years and experience within the industry, education, training, etc.
Visit www.go-planet.com to learn more about us. Details about our benefits can be found here
2026-2027 Recruitment Guide (1).pdf.docx

Cloud Engineer

Employer job description

Responsibilities: Active Directory Administration & Engineering

Preferred Qualifications

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