Junior IT Administrator (IAM)
The Junior IT Administrator (IAM) is an entry-level role responsible for managing and supporting the enterprise identity and access management infrastructure, including Microsoft Entra and Active Directory services. The position involves provisioning identities, troubleshooting authentication issues, and ensuring compliance with IAM best practices to support secure workforce authentication. This role serves as a key operational resource and first point of contact for IAM consultation across the organization, contributing to governance and integration decisions.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
Role Overview
This is an entry-level Identity & Access Management (IAM) technical role supporting a Confidential Client in the IT industry. You will perform day-to-day operational administration of the enterprise identity estate (Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, AD‑LDS, ADFS), execute recurring IAM service requests, support incident resolution for workforce authentication technologies, and act as a first point of contact for IAM consultation requests across the organization. You will also review new application requests for IAM compliance and provide governance teams with analysis to inform purchase or integration decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Provision and de-provision service principal names (SPNs) in Microsoft Entra following established standards and approval workflows.
- Create and administer Enterprise Applications: configure sign-on settings, assign ownership, and manage user/group assignments.
- Evaluate and assign API permissions; ensure permissions follow least-privilege principles and route privileged requests for approval.
- Coordinate with secrets management teams to track client secret and certificate renewals and prevent service outages.
- Review new application requests against IAM best practices and summarize findings for governance boards.
- Document IAM components, dependencies, and integration gaps for proposed applications.
- Field IAM consultation requests and provide analysis related to Entra, Active Directory, and AD‑LDS components.
- Troubleshoot and remediate Active Directory account lockout events, identifying the root source.
- Troubleshoot authentication failures for human and non-human identities across Active Directory, AD‑LDS, and Entra.
- Resolve end-user incidents involving security keys, passwordless authentication, and password management tools.
Required Qualifications
- Associate degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; OR equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- 1–5 years of experience in IT operations, service desk, systems administration, or related technical support roles.
- Working knowledge of Active Directory fundamentals (users, groups, computers, OUs, authentication basics).
- Foundational understanding of authentication and authorization concepts, including single sign-on (SSO), multifactor authentication (MFA), and least privilege.
- Familiarity with the Microsoft Entra admin center and basic administration of users, groups, and Enterprise Applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or related field.
- Hands-on experience with service principals, app registrations, and Enterprise Applications in Microsoft Entra (including API permission/consent models).
- Experience with ADFS relying party trusts, claim rules, and SAML signing/encryption certificate management.
- Practical knowledge of modern authentication protocols: SAML 2.0, OIDC/OAuth 2.0, Kerberos, Integrated Windows Authentication.
- Experience with SCIM-based or Just-In-Time user provisioning.
- Experience supporting passwordless and phishing‑resistant authentication (e.g., YubiKey / FIDO2, HYPR).
- Familiarity with AD‑LDS and directory synchronization tools (Entra Connect).
- PowerShell scripting experience, including Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK for reporting and bulk management.
- Experience using an ITSM platform (e.g., ServiceNow) for request, incident, and change management.
- Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft SC-300, SC-900, AZ-104, CompTIA Security+).
Work Arrangement & Location
This role supports remote work across the U.S. with a primary office location in Fairfax, VA. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
Compensation & Benefits (Summary)
Compensation for this role was listed in the source posting as an estimated $63,653 per year. Benefits and programs available through the Confidential Client may include medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, retirement savings (401k) with company match, ESPP, HSA options, employee assistance programs, and access to training and certification resources. Exact benefits and enrollment timing will be provided during the hiring process.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
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