Senior Linux Infrastructure Operations Engineer

slihrms; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

slihrms is seeking a Linux environments specialist to manage and optimise RHEL and Oracle Linux across production servers. You will work with the Engineering team to drive architecture improvements, with office attendance two days weekly and additional presence in Bristol to support operations.

Responsibilities include system installation, centralized user management, patching, hardening, monitoring, and automation using shell scripts and Ansible.

Qualifications

• Experience administering Linux servers in production environments.
• Knowledge of identity management and RBAC concepts.
• Familiarity with security hardening and vulnerability remediation.
• Experience with automation and configuration management tools.

Responsibilities

• Deploy and configure Linux OS (RHEL, Oracle Linux) on servers.
• Administer centralized authentication and RBAC; manage sudo policies and access reviews.
• Manage patches with Red Hat Satellite; deploy updates via Ansible.Ensure compliance with security and lifecycle policies.
• Maintain health and security of Linux environments; automate maintenance tasks.
• Monitor performance and troubleshoot incidents; RCA for complex issues.
• Backups and disaster recovery planning involvement; scripting for automation.
• Collaborate with IT teams and engineers to drive architecture improvements.

Skills

RHEL

Oracle Linux

Ansible

Red Hat IdM

RBAC

Sudo policy management

Shell scripting

Red Hat Satellite

SCOM

ServiceNow

VMware

Nutanix

Security hardening

Tools

Red Hat Satellite

Ansible Automation Platform

SCOM

ServiceNow

VMware

Nutanix

Job description

Job Description

Overview

This role is responsible for managing and optimizing the company's Linux environments, primarily RHEL and Oracle Linux. It focuses on core activities such as server administration, security, and performance, with an emphasis on supporting production of Linux infrastructure. The selected candidate will work with the Engineering team to drive architecture and design improvements. Several of the responsibilities outlined below reflect the organization's target-state vision, which the successful candidate will help define and implement. This role requires attendance in the office two days per week, with additional presence in Bristol as needed to support operational requirements.

Your role

• System Installation and Configuration: Deploy and configure Linux-based operating systems (RHEL, Oracle Linux) on servers including setting up network parameters, storage, and security settings.
• User Management: Administer centralized authentication and identity management platforms such as Red Hat IdM. Create and maintain user groups, role-based access controls (RBAC), and host-based access controls. Configure and manage sudo policies, privileged command delegation, and privileged access monitoring. Perform regular access reviews and recertification activities to identify excessive permissions and inactive accounts.
• Patching Management: Administer and maintain software repositories, content views, and package management infrastructure using Red Hat Satellite. Deploy software updates, patches, hotfixes, and security remediations via Ansible Automation Platform. Ensure all servers remain compliant with organizational security, vulnerability management, and software lifecycle policies. Troubleshoot package installation, repository connectivity, dependency conflicts, and software update failures. Generate compliance and patch status reports for management, audit, and security teams.
• Server Maintenance: Maintain the health, stability, and security of Linux server environments, primarily Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Oracle Linux (OEL). Register and manage Linux servers within Red Hat Satellite. Apply and maintain security hardening standards, ensuring compliance with organizational security requirements. Maintain server inventories, configuration baselines, and lifecycle documentation. Troubleshoot and resolve server-related incidents, including hardware, operating system, and storage. Automate routine maintenance activities using Ansible, shell scripting, and enterprise automation platforms.
• Monitoring and Performance Optimization: Monitor server health, system performance, resource utilization, and service availability across physical and virtual Linux environments. Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve performance bottlenecks affecting CPU, memory, storage, network, and application services. Perform regular system health checks and optimisation activities to maximize uptime, efficiency, and operational stability. Analyse system metrics, logs, and audit data to identify recurring incidents, root causes, and opportunities for automation and improvement. A working knowledge of SCOM monitoring tool and ServiceNow is an asset.
• Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution: Diagnose, investigate, and resolve complex Linux operating system, network, storage, and infrastructure issues across enterprise environments. Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for incidents and recurring problems, implementing permanent corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence. Lead the resolution of critical production incidents, ensuring minimal service disruption and adherence to agreed service levels. Troubleshoot issues related to RHEL, virtualization platforms, identity management, storage, networking, backup solutions, and automation tools. Develop and maintain troubleshooting procedures, knowledge articles, and technical documentation to improve operational effectiveness. Conduct post-incident reviews and recommend service improvements, configuration changes, and preventative maintenance activities.
• Backup and Disaster Recovery: manage system backup to ensure data integrity and contribute to disaster recovery plan activation or testing.
• Shell Scripting and Automation: Code and maintain shell scripts and automation tools to streamline repetitive tasks and improve system efficiency. Automate routine administrative tasks using shell scripting / Ansible. Knowledge of Ansible, playbook and YAML is desired.
• Virtualization: Manage virtual machines (e.g., VMware, Nutanix)
• System Security Auditing and Compliance: Conduct security audits and ensure Linux systems comply with relevant security standards and policies.
• Continuous Learning: Stay up to date with the latest advancements in Linux technologies and acquire new skills to enhance system administration capabilities.
• Collaboration: Coordinate with other IT teams, developers, and stakeholders to support various projects and ensure smooth integration of Linux systems with other compon