Principal Microsoft Exchange Infrastructure Consultant (Contract)

About GEM Technologies

GEM Technologies is a cybersecurity-focused Managed Services Provider supporting organizations that depend on secure, reliable, and highly available technology infrastructure.

We are seeking an experienced Microsoft Exchange consultant to serve as an extension of our engineering team on an as-needed basis.

This is a long-term consulting opportunity for someone who enjoys solving complex technical problems, mentoring experienced engineers, and working in challenging enterprise environments.

This Is Not a Typical Exchange Administrator Position

We are not looking for someone to perform routine Exchange administration or primarily manage Microsoft 365.

We are looking for the person experienced Exchange engineers call when they have exhausted normal troubleshooting methods.

If you've spent your career recovering failed Exchange deployments, resolving production outages, designing enterprise messaging environments, and mentoring other engineers, we'd like to speak with you.

What You WiIl Do

• Serve as the highest level of Exchange escalation for our engineering team.

• Troubleshoot complex on-premises Microsoft Exchange issues in production environments.
• Review, architect, and improve Exchange infrastructure.
• Lead or assist with upgrades, migrations, disaster recovery, and hybrid deployments.
• Troubleshoot Exchange dependencies involving Active Directory, DNS, networking, storage, certificates, and virtualization.
• Support Exchange environments utilizing Citrix NetScaler ADC and Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops.
• Mentor engineers by explaining findings, recommendations, and best practices.
• Participate in occasional after-hours maintenance and production incident response.

Required Technical Experience

We're looking for someone with significant hands-on experience in:

• Microsoft Exchange Server 2013, 2016, 2019, and ideally Subscription Edition
• Exchange architecture, DAGs, Hybrid Exchange, migrations, disaster recovery, and production troubleshooting
• Exchange PowerShell
• Active Directory, DNS, Microsoft Entra ID, and Entra Connect
• Citrix NetScaler ADC (load balancing, SSL, authentication, Exchange publishing)
• Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops
• Windows Server infrastructure
• Enterprise networking concepts, certificates, mail flow, and security

This position is focused on on-premises Microsoft Exchange Server. Candidates whose experience is primarily limited to Exchange Online or Microsoft 365 administration without significant on-prem Exchange experience are not likely to be a good fit.

The Ideal Candidate Has

• 10+ years supporting enterprise Microsoft Exchange environments
• Served as the senior escalation resource for complex Exchange issues
• Personally recovered failed Exchange implementations or production outages
• Architected or significantly redesigned Exchange environments
• Excellent troubleshooting methodology and root cause analysis skills
• Strong communication skills with the ability to mentor experienced engineers
• Experience working independently in unfamiliar environments

This Position Is Probably Not Right For You If

• Your experience is primarily Exchange Online or Microsoft 365 administration.
• You have limited experience supporting on-premises Exchange.
• You have never been the senior technical escalation point for Exchange.
• Your role has primarily been routine administration rather than architecture or advanced troubleshooting.

About the Engagement

This is an independent contractor position.

Work is assigned as needed and may include:

• Architecture reviews
• Escalated troubleshooting
• Project consulting
• Exchange upgrades and migrations
• Disaster recovery
• Production incident response
• Knowledge transfer and mentoring

Most work is performed remotely during Eastern Time business hours, with occasional evening or weekend maintenance.

Hourly Contract Rate

$100–$150 per hour, based on experience, technical expertise, certifications, interview performance, and the complexity of the engagement.

Requirements

Candidates must:

• Be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Reside within the United States.
• Demonstrate expert-level Microsoft Exchange knowledge during the interview process.
• Be comfortable mentoring engineers and documenting solutions.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with technical team members.

Preferred

• Has worked for a Managed Services Provider or consulting firm 
• Can quickly diagnose complex Exchange environments 
• Microsoft Exchange on prem experience 
• Can work independently and join calls when needed 

Interview Process

Qualified candidates will be asked to describe real-world experience involving:

• A challenging on-premises Exchange project completed within the past five years
• A significant Exchange production outage they personally resolved
• Their hands-on Citrix NetScaler and CVAD experience
• Their availability for consulting engagements and emergency support

During the interview, candidates should expect technical discussions focused on architecture, troubleshooting methodology, and production experience rather than memorization of commands or certification material.

Benefits

Compensation: Hourly consulting rate $80 to $125 is negotiable and will be determined based on the consultant's experience, demonstrated technical expertise, certifications, and the scope and complexity of each engagement.