Entra Id Specialist

1. Role Purpose / Job Description
-     Design, implement, manage, and support on-premises Active Directory (AD) and Azure Entra ID (Azure AD) environments.
-     Provide operational support (day-to-day) for identity infrastructure, user provisioning, authentication, and access management.
-     Ensure secure identity lifecycle (joiner / mover / leaver) processes.
-     Manage synchronization between on-prem AD and Entra ID (e.g., Azure AD Connect).
-     Implement and maintain identity governance (e.g., conditional access, role-based access control, MFA, identity protection).
-     Troubleshoot identity-related incidents and service disruptions, meeting SLAs.
-     Work with infrastructure, security, and cloud teams to integrate identity into broader Azure, hybrid, or on-prem systems.
-     Contribute to projects, such as migrating AD to Azure, modernizing identity, or consolidating domains.
-     Automate identity tasks using PowerShell, Microsoft Graph, or Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) where possible.
-     Document identity architecture, processes, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

2. Qualifications
-     Education:

-     NQF 6: 3-year Diploma / Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field 
-     Or equivalent experience in identity / systems engineering.
-     Experience:

-     Minimum of 3 years experience in systems engineering (cloud, infrastructure, identity) in a medium-to-large enterprise or managed service environment.
-     Experience working with on-premises Active Directory (Domain Controllers, GPOs, trusts, OU structure).
-     Experience with Azure Entra ID (or Azure AD), including identity synchronization, conditional access, SSO, and MFA.
-     Exposure to hybrid identity architectures (on-prem + cloud).
-     Experience with identity-related incident resolution, service management, and change management.
-     Certifications (preferred):

-     Azure certifications (e.g., AZ-900, AZ-104) 
-     Identity / Security-focused certs, for example: MS-500 (Microsoft Security), SC-100 (Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect), MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals)
-     ITIL Foundation (V3 or V4) to align with BCX’s operational support model 

3. Technical Skills / Competencies
-     Deep understanding of Active Directory (DNS, replication, FSMO roles, GPOs, Group Policy, AD sites)
-     Hands-on experience with Azure Entra ID (user/groups management, role assignments, conditional access, identity protection)
-     Knowledge of Azure AD Connect (installation, configuration, sync rules, troubleshooting)
-     Familiarity with identity architecture patterns (hybrid, cloud-only, federated)
-     Experience with Automation / Scripting (PowerShell, Azure PowerShell, Microsoft Graph API)
-     Working knowledge of identity governance tools / concepts (PIM, access reviews, least-privilege)
-     Competencies in identity security controls (MFA, SSO, device-based conditional access)
-     Monitoring and logging: experience in using Azure Monitor, Azure AD logs, security reporting
-     Backup & disaster recovery strategies for identity services (on-prem DCs, Azure AD)
-     Change management and patching experience (identity system updates, schema changes)

4. Behavioural / Soft Skills
-     Problem Solving & Troubleshooting: Able to diagnose complex identity issues under pressure.
-     Communication: Strong verbal and written communication, to work with business stakeholders, security teams, and other tech teams.
-     Team Work: Works collaboratively within infrastructure, cloud, and security teams.
-     Service Orientation: Focus on meeting SLAs, ensuring identity services are reliable, secure, and performant.
-     Learning & Research: Keeps up to date with identity trends (e.g., Zero Trust, identity protection) and applies new knowledge.
-     Resilience & Stress Management: Able to cope with production incidents; on-call support as needed.
-     Process Adherence: Follows and improves standard operating procedures, change control, and documentation practices (as per BCX behavioral expectations).

5. Key Deliverables / Responsibilities
-     Ensure high availability and resiliency of AD / Entra ID infrastructure.
-     Manage and maintain synchronization (Azure AD Connect), ensuring no identity drift.
-     Implement and enforce access control policies via conditional access, RBAC, MFA.
-     Regularly review identity security (audit logs, risk analysis, identity protection).
-     Automate identity lifecycle tasks (provisioning, deprovisioning).
-     Support project implementations (e.g., migrating on-prem AD to Azure, rearchitecting identity).
-     Document identity architecture, processes, runbooks, and SOPs.
-     Conduct identity health-checks, capacity planning, and performance tuning.
-     Provide day-to-day operational support, including incident management, root-cause analysis, and resolution.

6. Reporting & Escalation
-     Report into the Enterprise Infr