Server Engineer II

About Kirkland & Ellis
At Kirkland & Ellis, we don't just meet the standard for legal excellence - we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers' commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You'll Do
Are you ready to take on a high-impact role at the intersection of identity management, Windows server operations and enterprise security? As a Server Engineer II, you'll play a key role on our global Server Operations team, supporting and advancing a hybrid infrastructure with a strong emphasis on Active Directory and Windows Server across on-premises datacenters and cloud environments, including Microsoft Azure.

This role focuses on Active Directory and identity services, day-to-day Windows Server operations, proactive security remediation and optimization of cloud infrastructure to ensure reliability, scalability and performance. You'll partner across teams to deliver enterprise-scale solutions while maintaining a secure and resilient environment that supports critical business operations.

Active Directory & Identity Services: Administer, maintain and harden Active Directory across a global, multisite environment, including domain controllers, replication, trusts, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP and Certificate Services. Support hybrid identity through Microsoft Entra Connect.

Windows Server Operations & Support: Provide advanced administration and Level 2 support for global Windows Server environments, and manage hypervisors including VMware vSphere, Nutanix Acropolis and Hyper-V.

Monitoring & Automation: Use tools such as SCOM, Zabbix, SCCM and Ansible Tower to monitor performance, resolve alerts, and automate configuration and deployment. Build PowerShell automation for routine administration.

Cloud Infrastructure: Engineer, operate and optimize Microsoft Azure environments, including virtual machines, Entra ID, RBAC roles, DNS, Azure Backup and Site Recovery. Support Landing Zone design and scalability.

Security & Compliance: Remediate vulnerabilities and identity-related risks, apply patches and Windows hardening baselines, and enforce least-privilege access. Work closely with security teams to ensure compliance with corporate and regulatory standards.

Project Delivery: Contribute to provisioning, Windows Server upgrades, Active Directory migrations and disaster recovery planning. Collaborate with internal teams and vendors to deliver solutions that balance efficiency and stability.

Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Maintain accurate operational procedures, system documentation and reports to support continuity and stakeholder transparency.
The Schedule for This Position Is
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Participation in an on-call rotation and response to after-hours emergencies as required
Weekend maintenance windows, planned in advance, to support patching, upgrades and infrastructure changes with minimal business impact
What You'll Bring
Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or equivalent work experience.

Experience: 5-7 years of progressive IT infrastructure experience, including at least 3 years administering Active Directory and Windows Server in large-scale enterprise environments.

Directory & Identity Management: Deep hands-on experience with Active Directory Domain Services, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, Certificate Services (PKI) and Microsoft Entra Connect.

System Administration Skills: Advanced proficiency with Windows Server (2016-2025). Foundational experience with Linux distributions such as RHEL and Ubuntu is a plus.

Virtualization Experience: Hands-on experience with VMware vSphere/ESXi, Nutanix Acropolis and Hyper-V.

Cloud Knowledge: Strong background in Microsoft Azure (IaaS, Entra ID, RBAC, ASR, Backup). Familiarity with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is a plus.

Monitoring & Configuration Tools: Experience with SCOM, Zabbix, SCCM and Ansible Tower.

Security & Scripting: Strong understanding of Active Directory security, vulnerability remediation, patch management and compliance best practices. Advanced proficiency in PowerShell scripting.
Certifications (Preferred): Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate, Azure Administrator Associate or Identity and Access Administrator Associate.

Professional Competencies: Clear communicator across technical and non-technical audiences, with strong problem-solving abilities. Able to prioritize, stay resilient under pressure and work collaboratively in a global team.
Compensation
The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in Chicago. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range

Chicago: $116,000 - $144,000
How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."
Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity
All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law. #LI-Hybrid #LI-SM1