McGuireWoods LLP is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Senior Systems Engineer (Messaging Operations & Automation) to join our IT team in the Richmond, VA office. The Senior Systems Engineer is a technical leader responsible for the operational health, stability, and optimization of enterprise messaging platforms. This role requires a combination of hands-on operational ownership with advanced engineering capabilities to ensure reliability, security, and scalability across Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365 services. The Engineer partners closely with infrastructure and messaging architects while driving automation, modernization, and operational efficiency through scripting, workflow automation, and infrastructure-as-code practices. This role is vital to the firm as it ensures that messaging systems operate reliably and securely while advancing automation and modernization. The engineer reduces operational overhead, strengthens security posture, and enables a scalable, cloud-driven messaging ecosystem.

McGuireWoods, one of the world’s leading law firms, has provided legal solutions to corporate, individual and nonprofit clients since 1834. Along with excellent benefits, McGuireWoods offers most employees a hybrid remote option allowing flexibility and work-life balance. Our Applicant Disclosures describe your rights. Our Privacy Statement describes how we will process and safeguard your personal data.

Messaging Operations (Primary Focus)

• Own day-to-day operations of Exchange Online, Microsoft 365 messaging, Teams, and related services.
• Administer Exchange (on-premises and/or Online), including mail flow, transport rules, hybrid configurations, and high availability.
• Manage mailbox provisioning, distribution lists, shared mailboxes, permissions, and identity lifecycle tasks.
• Monitor mail flow, queues, connectors, and message tracing; resolve operational issues.
• Serve as Tier 3 escalation for messaging incidents, performance issues, and service disruptions.
• Collaborate with senior engineers on upgrades, migrations, and complex engineering initiatives.

Automation & Efficiency 

• Develop advanced automation using PowerShell, Python, Graph API, and scripting frameworks.
• Automate provisioning, compliance checks, reporting, and repetitive operational tasks.
• Design workflow automation for lifecycle management and monitoring.
• Build dashboards, health checks, and alerting mechanisms.
• Contribute to infrastructure automation and modernization initiatives.
  

Security, Compliance & Identity 

• Implement and maintain messaging security controls (anti-spam, anti-malware, DLP, encryption).
• Manage identity and access integrations (Azure AD, OAuth, certificates, conditional access).
• Maintain compliance configurations including retention policies and governance controls.
• Ensure messaging environment meets security and regulatory requirements.

IT Operations Support

• Support Windows Server lifecycle including provisioning, patching, hardening, and decommissioning.
• Assist with Active Directory and Azure AD administration and identity hygiene.
• Participate in on-call rotation for critical systems.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Infrastructure, Security, Networking, and Service Desk teams.

Leadership & Documentation 

• Lead complex troubleshooting efforts and perform root-cause analysis.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices in messaging and automation.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, procedures, and standards.
• Drive modernization initiatives including cloud adoption and legacy system automation.

Required Qualifications 

• 5+ years of experience in systems engineering or IT operations.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Microsoft Exchange (2016/2019/Online) and Microsoft 365.
• Expert-level PowerShell scripting and automation skills.
• Strong understanding of Azure AD, hybrid identity, and modern authentication.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot messaging, mail flow, and security issues.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Willingness and desire to work with innovative technology platforms - our employees also have access to Harvey, a legal-specific AI tool that reduces time spent on routine tasks, allowing you to focus on more meaningful, high-impact work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Graph API, REST APIs, or integration technologies.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, Git, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Experience with email security gateways (Proofpoint, Mimecast).
• Knowledge of Intune, Defender for Office 365, or compliance tools.
• Relevant certifications (MS-700, MS-203, AZ-104, AZ-305).

Have more questions?  Connect with a recruiter directly. #LI-ER1