Active Directory Consultant

- Expert-level understanding of AD authentication protocols, including Kerberos, NTLM/NTLMv2, and LDAP/LDAPS. - Demonstrated ability to reduce legacy or insecure authentication mechanisms across large, diverse application estates. - Hands-on experience with LDAP security hardening, such as enforcing LDAP Signing and Channel Binding, and migrating workloads to LDAPS or other secure bind methods. - Strong troubleshooting capabilities across Windows authentication flows, including SPNs, ticketing, delegation, and common authentication failure patterns. - Proven cross-functional collaboration skills, driving alignment and change across application teams, infrastructure, and security stakeholders. - Familiarity with relevant logging and diagnostic tools, such as Windows Security logs, AD diagnostics, and identity telemetry from Entra/Defender. - PowerShell scripting and automation proficiency to inventory authentication usage, monitor progress, and support enforcement phases. - Experience leading enterprise-scale change initiatives, following an audit – remediation – enforcement methodology with strong stakeholder management. - Background in Microsoft security hardening, including domain controller baselines, Tiering models, and protecting privileged access pathways.