Senior System Administrator

Kresta Softech Private Limited; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm is seeking a System Administrator in Chennai to manage and troubleshoot Linux and Windows servers. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience, specializing in Linux administration and infrastructure automation using tools like Ansible and Puppet. Responsibilities include overseeing system reliability, ensuring high availability, and providing mentorship to junior administrators. The role requires flexibility for night shifts, along with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience as a System Administrator with strong expertise in Linux administration.
• Hands-on experience with RHEL, Ubuntu, and CentOS in production environments.
• Solid experience with Windows Server (2016/2019/2022) and Active Directory.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the tier-3 escalation point for complex technical issues.
• Manage, maintain, and troubleshoot Linux and Windows servers.
• Administer Proxmox virtualization and ensure system reliability.

Skills

Linux administration

Troubleshooting

Infrastructure automation

Proxmox virtualization

Windows Server administration

GitLab administration

Tools

Ansible

Puppet

Freshservice

Azure Virtual Desktop

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

Mode of Work: All 5 days work from office

Shift Timing: 08:30 PM to 04:30 AM (Pick & Drop facility will be provided)

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the tier‑3 escalation point for junior system administrators and resolve complex technical issues with a primary focus on Linux‑based environments.
• Manage, maintain, and troubleshoot Linux servers (primary OS) including performance tuning, patching, security hardening, and system reliability.
• Administer Windows Servers, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, and other Microsoft services where required.
• Oversee all internal infrastructure (Linux & Windows), ensuring high availability, performance optimization, backup management, and system security.
• Administer and manage Proxmox virtualization including VM lifecycle management, clustering, storage, and high availability configurations.
• Design, implement, and maintain infrastructure automation using Ansible and/or Puppet for configuration management and provisioning.
• Support and manage Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments including deployment, access management, and performance monitoring.
• Develop and maintain operational documentation, SOPs, and automation workflows to improve efficiency.
• Ensure timely resolution of incidents and service requests with a strong focus on system reliability and user experience.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to enhance infrastructure scalability, observability, and resilience.
• Administer tools such as Freshservice for ITSM processes including ticketing, asset management, and workflow automation.
• Participate in GitLab administration, including repository access, user management, and basic CI/CD troubleshooting.
• Provide after‑hours or night‑shift support when required.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience as a System Administrator with strong expertise in Linux administration (mandatory & primary skill).
• Hands‑on experience with major Linux distributions (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS) in production environments.
• Solid experience with Windows Server (2016/2019/2022) and Active Directory.
• Proven experience with Proxmox virtualization in enterprise environments.
• Strong working knowledge of Ansible and/or Puppet for infrastructure automation.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across OS, networking, and infrastructure layers.
• Experience working in mid‑ to large‑scale enterprise IT environments.
• Proven ability to act as an escalation engineer and mentor junior administrators.
• Experience in creating SOPs, automation frameworks, and operational improvements.
• Familiarity with ITSM tools such as Freshservice or similar platforms.
• Ability to work in night shifts or flexible schedules.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with GitLab administration and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong Shell scripting (Bash) and/or PowerShell scripting skills.
• Knowledge of additional virtualization platforms (VMware/Hyper‑V).
• Understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing, firewalls, load balancing).
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, etc.).
• Exposure to cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving ability.
• Ability to mentor and guide junior team members.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Calm, composed, and solution‑oriented under pressure.
• Strong ownership mindset with a proactive approach to system stability and improvements.