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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an Exchange Administrator

💰 $85,000 - $135,000

IT InfrastructureSystems AdministrationCloud ServicesMicrosoft 365

🎯 Role Definition

As an Exchange Administrator, you are the cornerstone of our organization's communication and collaboration infrastructure. You will be entrusted with the full lifecycle management of our Microsoft Exchange environment, encompassing both Exchange Online and on-premises servers in a hybrid model. Your mission is to ensure the reliability, security, and efficiency of our email services, which are critical to business operations. This role demands a proactive problem-solver with a deep technical understanding of messaging systems, a passion for automation, and a strong commitment to security best practices. You will serve as the subject matter expert for all things email, providing vital support and strategic guidance to the entire organization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • IT Support Specialist / Help Desk Analyst
  • Junior Systems Administrator
  • Network Technician

Advancement To:

  • Senior Exchange Administrator / Messaging Architect
  • Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
  • IT Infrastructure Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Systems Administrator (General)
  • SharePoint Administrator
  • Unified Communications Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage and maintain the enterprise Microsoft Exchange environment, including Exchange Online and on-premises Exchange Servers in a complex hybrid configuration.
  • Administer user mailboxes, distribution lists, shared mailboxes, and resource mailboxes, ensuring proper configuration, permissions, and access controls are consistently applied.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve complex mail flow issues, including message delivery failures, delays, and routing problems using advanced message tracing and log analysis techniques.
  • Implement and manage email security policies and technologies, such as anti-spam, anti-malware, anti-phishing, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to protect the organization from evolving threats.
  • Develop, test, and deploy robust PowerShell scripts to automate routine administrative tasks, generate insightful reports, and perform bulk changes within the Exchange and Microsoft 365 environments.
  • Monitor the health, performance, and capacity of the messaging infrastructure, proactively identifying and addressing potential issues before they impact business operations.
  • Manage and configure Exchange High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions, including Database Availability Groups (DAGs) and executing site failover procedures.
  • Perform regular maintenance, patching, and version upgrades for on-premises Exchange servers to ensure system security, compliance, and stability.
  • Administer and support email archiving, retention policies, and eDiscovery/litigation hold requirements in alignment with corporate compliance and legal mandates.
  • Configure and manage transport rules, data loss prevention (DLP) policies, and journaling to enforce company communication policies and protect sensitive information.
  • Provide Tier 3 escalation support for the help desk and other IT teams on all issues related to the messaging and collaboration platform.
  • Manage the Exchange Hybrid Configuration, ensuring seamless coexistence and mailbox migration capabilities between on-premises and Exchange Online tenants.
  • Maintain comprehensive and up-to-date documentation of the messaging environment's architecture, configurations, standard operating procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
  • Collaborate closely with the cybersecurity team to investigate and respond to email-based security incidents, such as phishing campaigns and business email compromise (BEC) attacks.
  • Manage and support third-party applications that integrate with the Exchange environment, such as email security gateways (e.g., Mimecast, Proofpoint) and archiving solutions.
  • Plan and execute large-scale mailbox migration projects from on-premises Exchange or other platforms to Exchange Online, ensuring minimal user disruption and data integrity.
  • Oversee the management of public folders, including replication, permissions management, and developing migration strategies to modern collaboration platforms like Microsoft 365 Groups.
  • Analyze and report on email usage, delivery trends, and system metrics to support capacity planning, resource optimization, and strategic decision-making.
  • Participate in the evaluation, piloting, and implementation of new messaging and collaboration technologies within the Microsoft 365 suite to drive business value.
  • Manage mobile device management (MDM) policies related to email access through solutions like Microsoft Intune and Exchange ActiveSync to secure corporate data on mobile endpoints.
  • Ensure the proper functioning and configuration of Active Directory and Azure Active Directory components critical for Exchange, including user attributes and group synchronization via Azure AD Connect.
  • Provide expert-level guidance and occasional training to end-users and support staff on best practices for using email and collaboration tools effectively and securely.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to messaging system usage and trends.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader cloud and data strategy and IT infrastructure roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate communication and collaboration needs into technical engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and other agile ceremonies within the IT Infrastructure team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Microsoft Exchange Online: Deep expertise in administering all aspects of the Exchange Online service, including mail flow, security, compliance, and reporting tools.
  • Microsoft Exchange Server (2016/2019): Proven experience in the installation, configuration, and maintenance of on-premises Exchange servers, including DAGs and cumulative updates.
  • PowerShell Scripting: Advanced proficiency in using PowerShell for automating complex tasks related to Exchange, Azure AD, and Microsoft 365 administration.
  • Hybrid Exchange Configuration: Hands-on experience with deploying and managing a Hybrid environment using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW) and troubleshooting synchronization issues.
  • Active Directory & Azure AD: Strong understanding of Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), including directory synchronization with Azure AD Connect.
  • Email Security Protocols: In-depth knowledge of email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and experience with enterprise email security gateways (e.g., Proofpoint, Mimecast).
  • Mail Flow Troubleshooting: Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex message routing and delivery issues using message tracing, header analysis, and protocol logs.
  • Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance: Familiarity with configuring eDiscovery, litigation holds, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies, and retention policies within the M365 ecosystem.
  • Network Fundamentals: Solid understanding of core networking concepts, including DNS, TCP/IP, SMTP, and firewalls, as they relate to messaging services.
  • Disaster Recovery & High Availability: Experience with designing, implementing, and testing DR/HA strategies for messaging systems, particularly Exchange DAGs and site resilience.
  • Mobile Device Management (MDM): Knowledge of managing email access on mobile devices through policies in Microsoft Intune or Exchange ActiveSync.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical Problem-Solving: Ability to systematically diagnose complex technical issues and implement effective, lasting solutions.
  • Clear Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to configuration, documentation, and policy implementation to prevent errors and security gaps.
  • Time Management & Prioritization: Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority projects and support tickets in a fast-paced environment.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A collaborative mindset with a history of working effectively within IT teams and across business departments.
  • Proactive & Self-Motivated: A strong sense of ownership and the drive to proactively improve systems and processes without constant supervision.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional work experience in enterprise IT environments.

Preferred Education:

  • Relevant industry certifications such as Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate (MS-203) or similar.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology
  • Information Systems Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of dedicated experience in an Exchange Administrator or Messaging Engineer role.

Preferred:

  • Experience in managing a large-scale (5,000+ mailboxes) hybrid Exchange environment.
  • Demonstrable project experience with migrations from on-premises Exchange to Exchange Online.
  • Experience in a regulated industry (e.g., finance, healthcare) with strict compliance requirements.
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