Server Engineer II

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced administration and Level 2 support for global Windows and Linux environments; manage hypervisors including VMware vSphere, Nutanix Acropolis, and Hyper-V.
• Administer and maintain Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPOs, and Certificate Services to ensure secure, reliable access and identity management.
• Use tools such as SCOM, Zabbix, SCCM, and Ansible Tower to monitor performance, resolve alerts, and automate configuration and deployment.
• Engineer, operate, and optimize Microsoft Azure environments including Virtual Machines, Entra AD Connect, RBAC roles, DNS, Azure Backup, and Site Recovery; support Landing Zone design and scalability.
• Remediate vulnerabilities, apply patches, and implement configuration updates; work closely with security teams to ensure compliance with corporate and regulatory standards.
• Contribute to provisioning, migrations, upgrades, and disaster recovery planning; collaborate with internal teams and vendors to deliver solutions that balance efficiency and stability.
• Maintain accurate operational procedures, system documentation, and reports to support continuity and stakeholder transparency.

Requirements

• Educational Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent work experience.
• Experience Requirement: 5–7 years of progressive IT infrastructure experience, with at least 3+ years supporting large-scale Windows and virtualization environments.
• Virtualization Expertise: Hands-on experience with VMware vSphere/ESXi, Nutanix Acropolis, and Hyper-V.
• System Administration Skills: Proficiency with Windows Server (2016–2025) and Linux distributions such as RHEL and Ubuntu.
• Cloud Knowledge: Strong background in Microsoft Azure (IaaS, Entra AD Connect, RBAC, ASR, Backup); Oracle Cloud Infrastructure familiarity a plus.
• Directory & Identity Management: Skilled in Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPOs, and Certificate Services.
• Monitoring & Configuration Tools: Experience with SCOM, Zabbix, SCCM, and Ansible Tower.
• Security & Scripting: Strong understanding of vulnerability remediation, patch management, and compliance best practices; advanced proficiency in PowerShell scripting.
• Professional Competencies: Clear communicator across technical and non-technical audiences; strong problem-solving abilities; ability to prioritize, stay resilient under pressure, and work collaboratively in a global team.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent work experience.
• Experience: 5–7 years of progressive IT infrastructure experience, with at least 3+ years supporting large-scale Windows and virtualization environments.
• Virtualization Expertise: Hands-on experience with VMware vSphere/ESXi, Nutanix Acropolis, and Hyper-V.
• System Administration Skills: Proficiency with Windows Server (2016–2025) and Linux distributions such as RHEL and Ubuntu.
• Cloud Knowledge: Strong background in Microsoft Azure (IaaS, Entra AD Connect, RBAC, ASR, Backup); Oracle Cloud Infrastructure familiarity a plus.
• Directory & Identity Management: Skilled in Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPOs, and Certificate Services.
• Monitoring & Configuration Tools: Experience with SCOM, Zabbix, SCCM, and Ansible Tower.
• Security & Scripting: Strong understanding of vulnerability remediation, patch management, and compliance best practices; advanced proficiency in PowerShell scripting.
• Professional Competencies: Clear communicator across technical and non-technical audiences; strong problem-solving abilities; ability to prioritize, stay resilient under pressure, and work collaboratively in a global team.

Skills

• Advanced proficiency in PowerShell scripting.
• Strong understanding of vulnerability remediation, patch management, and compliance best practices.
• Proficiency with Windows Server (2016–2025) and Linux distributions such as RHEL and Ubuntu.
• Hands-on experience with VMware vSphere/ESXi, Nutanix Acropolis, and Hyper-V.
• Skilled in Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPOs, and Certificate Services.
• Experience with SCOM, Zabbix, SCCM, and Ansible Tower.
• Strong background in Microsoft Azure (IaaS, Entra AD Connect, RBAC, ASR, Backup).

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare
• Paid time off
• Roth and Traditional 401(k) plans
• Flexible spending accounts
• Retirement savings plan

Pay

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.

Congressional District: $116,000 - $144,000

Schedule

The Schedule For This Position Is Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm 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

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.