Why do you need to choose between doing important work and having a fulfilling life? At Ardent, we have both. Ardent employees are committed to solving our customers’ most difficult problems—and we are committed to the well-being, personal goals, and professional development of our employee. We are “All In.” We put forth our strongest effort possible to get the mission accomplished and we do it together. We respect the skills and experience you bring to the Ardent team. And we provide a rewarding environment to help you succeed. 

We offer highly competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and an exceptional culture that embraces flexibility, innovation, collaboration, and career growth. A collective service mindset underpins our work, and a shared camaraderie to serve clients, colleagues and our communities set us apart. Our full commitment to being "All In" for our employees and our clients is not just our approach, it is our standard. If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, choose Ardent and make a difference with us. 

Ardent is seeking a highly skilled Senior Systems Engineer to manage and support the full suite of Microsoft 365 (M365) infrastructure (including: MS Azure, Azure AD (Entra), Purview, Security, Compliance, Defender, Intune, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Teams, and OneDrive infrastructure for a multi-tenant organization.

The ideal candidate will oversee day-to-day IT operations, including service desk management, while ensuring seamless integration and functionality across other critical IT platforms. Additionally, the role requires active participation in compliance initiatives such as CMMI, CMMC, and ISO audits to ensure operational excellence and regulatory adherence.

This is a hybrid role in the Washington, DC area. 

Key responsibilities include:

Microsoft 365 Administration:

  • Manage and maintain the organization's M365 environment, including MS Azure, Azure AD (Entra), Purview, Security, Compliance, Defender, Intune, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive, Single Sign-On, Retention Policies, and Retention Labels.
  • Implement and oversee security and compliance features within M365, including Conditional Access, DLP, and eDiscovery.
  • Ensure M365 infrastructure supports the scalability and operational needs of the organization.
  • Monitor and optimize M365 performance and usage, implementing best practices for cost management and user adoption.

 IT Operations Management:

  • Oversee daily IT operations to ensure service continuity and resolution of issues.
  • Manage the service desk team, prioritizing ticket resolution and user satisfaction.
  • Lead the implementation, configuration, and maintenance of additional IT platforms and enterprise software.
  • Develop and enforce IT policies, procedures, and SLA adherence.

 Compliance and Audit Participation:

  • Support CMMI/CMMC and ISO compliance efforts by maintaining documentation, processes, and tools required for audits.
  • Collaborate with internal and external auditors to ensure adherence to regulatory standards.
  • Implement systems and controls to meet compliance requirements while maintaining operational efficiency.

Infrastructure Management:

  • Integrate and maintain interoperability across M365 and other IT systems.
  • Perform regular system audits, patches, and updates to maintain infrastructure health and security.
  • Support the planning and execution of disaster recovery and business continuity initiatives.

Collaboration and Training:

  • Work closely with business units to understand operational needs and develop solutions leveraging IT systems.
  • Provide training and knowledge-sharing to staff, improving IT literacy and reducing dependency on support.
  • Stay current with emerging M365 technologies and IT trends, proposing innovative solutions to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications:

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
  • Minimum of 6 years of experience managing M365 environments and IT operations in a mid-to-large scale organization.
  • Hands-on experience with IT service management (ITSM) platforms and service desk leadership.
  • Proven track record of supporting compliance initiatives such as CMMI, CMMC, and ISO audits.

Certifications:

  • Relevant M365 certifications (e.g., Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert).
  • ITIL 4 Foundation certification is a plus.
  • Familiarity with CMMI/CMMC and ISO frameworks.

Skills and Competencies:

  • In-depth knowledge of M365 applications and services, including security and compliance tools and policies.
  • Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, including networking, virtualization, and MS Azure cloud computing.
  • Familiarity with compliance frameworks and the ability to create audit-ready processes and documentation.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with experience managing multi-tenants and cross-functional teams.
  • Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks for multiple tenants under tight deadlines.

Due to the nature of the work we support, all candidates in consideration for this role must be willing to undergo the government issued background investigation process.

 

Ardent is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Apply for this Job

* Required
resume chosen  
Dropbox Google Drive
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
cover_letter chosen  
Dropbox Google Drive
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review
+ Add another education

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Ardent’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Enter the verification code sent to to confirm you are not a robot, then submit your application.

This application was flagged as potential bot traffic. To resubmit your application, turn off any VPNs, clear the browser's cache and cookies, or try another browser. If you still can't submit it, contact our support team through the help center.