Lead Directory Administrator

Department

F&A ITS - Identity and Access Management

About the Department

IT Services collaborates with campus partners to support the mission of the University of Chicago through the consistent delivery of high-quality solutions and services.

Job Summary

Under broad direction, this role leads the administration and strategic advancement of a sophisticated directory services environment, integrating Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Oracle Directory Server Enterprise Edition, and Okta Universal Directory. The incumbent is responsible for designing, architecting, and implementing cutting-edge solutions that align with business goals and support mission-critical IT services. They play a key role in evaluating and optimizing server technologies, platforms, and frameworks, ensuring alignment with both current and future organizational needs.

As the lead contributor, this position requires active participation in regional and national Identity and Access Management (IAM) communities, fostering innovation and industry best practices. This role involves collaboration with key stakeholders, business analysts, and cross-functional technical teams to resolve complex system integration challenges, ensure compatibility across multiple platforms, and implement continuous improvements.

Responsibilities

• Leads the design and deployment of enterprise-wide directory services, ensuring robust, scalable, and secure solutions that align with evolving business priorities.
• Oversees tier two support for all IAM services, providing expert-level problem resolution and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develops comprehensive technical documentation and instructional content, including knowledge base articles and training videos, to enhance system usability and operational efficiency.
• Coaches and mentors junior technical staff, including student Support Analysts, fostering skill development and technical proficiency.
• Leads the design and global implementation of Active Directory Infrastructure, including Group Policy configuration and domain consolidation for large-scale, complex organizations.
• Drives the execution of Active Directory Domain upgrades, ensuring minimal disruption and full compliance with organizational standards.
• Designs Group Policy Objects to enforce compliance with security standards and organizational policies across server and user environments.
• Engages with university divisions, departments, and cross-functional teams to gather requirements, drive consensus, and deliver enterprise-level IAM solutions that meet diverse business and technical needs.
• Ensures adherence to configuration and security standards, implementing rigorous change management processes and driving the adoption of best practices.
• Provides thought leadership on system usage policies, advising on governance, security, and service management across the IAM ecosystem.
• Possesses deep expertise in Microsoft Windows OS architecture, including AD Forests, Domains, Trusts, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, and Organizational Units, driving continuous improvement and innovation in these areas.
• Leads recurring projects, such as Directory Reviewer Refresh, ensuring they are aligned with organizational goals and delivered on time.
• Works proactively with stakeholders across university divisions to gather insights, address evolving needs, and implement IAM solutions that enhance the university’s technological capabilities.
• Guides the administration of operating systems, maintains security, and implements backup procedures for the organization's information systems and peripheral equipment, such as servers, desktops, printers, and storage devices.
• Provides expertise in planning and installing necessary patches and upgrades for servers and their associated storage, network, communications, and peripheral sub-systems. Installs and maintains an appropriate level of intrusion detection, monitoring, and auditing software as required.
• Tracks compliance and maintains documentation for hardware, software, and service inventories for management reports.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

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