Principal Windows Server Engineer

Principal Windows Server Engineer   Job Summary We are seeking a highly skilled Windows Server Engineer to join our Infrastructure Engineering team. This role is responsible for the engineering, administration, security, automation, and lifecycle management of enterprise Windows Server platforms supporting critical business applications and services. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in Windows Server administration , patch management , operating system upgrades , performance optimization , infrastructure automation , software deployment , compliance reporting, and server lifecycle management. This position will collaborate with application owners, security teams, storage teams, virtualization teams, cloud engineers, and operations personnel to ensure a secure, reliable, and highly available server environment.   Primary Responsibilities Windows Server Administration • Engineer, deploy, configure, and maintain enterprise Windows Server environments. • Manage server operating systems including Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022. • Perform server builds, provisioning, decommissioning, and lifecycle management activities. • Maintain server standards, hardening guidelines, and operational procedures. • Support physical, virtual, and cloud-based Windows infrastructure.   Patch & Vulnerability Management • Plan, schedule, and execute operating system patching activities. • Coordinate maintenance windows with application and business stakeholders. • Remediate security vulnerabilities identified through internal and external scans. • Ensure compliance with corporate security and regulatory requirements. • Produce patching compliance metrics and executive-level reporting.   Operating System Upgrades • Lead Windows Server upgrade and migration initiatives. • Develop migration strategies from legacy operating systems. • Perform impact assessments and compatibility analysis. • Coordinate application validation and testing activities. • Maintain upgrade roadmaps and lifecycle plans.   Software Deployment & Tooling Management • Install, configure, and maintain infrastructure software agents and management tools. • Support deployment of: • Monitoring agents • Backup agents • Security software • Endpoint management tools • Vulnerability scanning tools • Logging and observability platforms • Develop automated software deployment processes.   Automation & Infrastructure as Code • Develop automation using: • PowerShell • Desired State Configuration (DSC) • Ansible • Infrastructure-as-Code frameworks • Automate repetitive operational and administrative tasks. • Create self-service capabilities where appropriate. • Improve operational efficiency through workflow automation.   Performance & Capacity Management • Monitor and analyze Windows Server performance. • Identify CPU, memory, disk, and network bottlenecks. • Perform root cause analysis for performance issues. • Develop capacity forecasts and growth recommendations. • Optimize operating system configurations for performance and stability.   License & Asset Compliance • Maintain inventory of Windows Server assets. • Track software licensing consumption and compliance. • Produce audit support documentation and reports. • Partner with asset management and procurement teams. • Support internal and external compliance reviews.   Security & Compliance • Implement and maintain security baselines. • Support Active Directory and Group Policy administration. • Ensure compliance with SOX, security, and infrastructure standards. • Participate in security incident response activities. • Drive remediation efforts for identified risks and vulnerabilities.   Incident & Problem Management • Provide Level 3 engineering support for critical incidents. • Participate in outage investigations and root caus