IT Systems Engineer III - Linux SME

KellyMitchell Group; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance

Employee-Owned Profit Sharing (ESOP)

401(k) offered

Job summary

KellyMitchell Group seeks an IT Systems Engineer III - Linux SME to support enterprise Linux infrastructure and automation initiatives in Oakland, CA. The contract role requires strong Red Hat experience and hands-on automation, scripting, and packaging skills.

The selected candidate will design, deploy, and maintain RHEL environments, build automation playbooks, and contribute to platform modernization and cloud integration efforts.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of enterprise Linux administration or engineering experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
• Hands-on administration of Red Hat Satellite.
• Advanced experience with Ansible Automation Platform.
• Strong scripting experience with Bash, Shell, and/or Python.
• Experience creating, maintaining, and deploying custom RPM packages.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, administer, and support enterprise Linux environments.
• Maintain RHEL Gold Images meeting security and compliance.
• Administer Red Hat Satellite provisioning, patch management, content views, and lifecycle.
• Develop Ansible playbooks, roles, inventories, and automation frameworks.
• Create and maintain Bash, Shell, or Python scripts for monitoring and automation.
• Develop and deploy custom RPM packages for enterprise apps.
• Lead modernization, data-center migration, platform upgrades and cloud integration.

Skills

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Ansible Automation Platform

Bash/Shell/Python scripting

RHEL Gold Images

Red Hat Satellite

RPM packaging

Tools

Red Hat Satellite

RPM packaging

Terraform

VMware

AWS

Azure

Job description

Job Summary

Our client, a leading utility provider, is seeking an IT Systems Engineer III - Linux SME to join their team. This position will support enterprise Linux infrastructure, automation initiatives, and strategic platform projects. The ideal candidate combines deep Red Hat Linux expertise with automation, configuration management, security, and infrastructure project delivery experience.

Contract Details

• Contract Type: Contract
• Duration: 26 weeks
• Contract Dates: October 5, 2026-April 4, 2027
• Work Location: Oakland, CA
• Work Model: Hybrid, onsite attendance required every Tuesday

Core Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, administer, and support enterprise environments built primarily on Red Hat Enterprise Linux Build, maintain, and enhance standardized RHEL Gold Images that meet enterprise security and compliance requirements
• Administer Red Hat Satellite, including provisioning, patch management, software repositories, content views, and host lifecycle management
• Develop Ansible playbooks, roles, inventories, and reusable automation frameworks for provisioning, configuration, patching, and compliance
• Create and maintain Bash, Shell, or Python scripts for monitoring, reporting, administration, and operational automation
• Develop, maintain, and deploy custom RPM packages supporting enterprise applications and platform standards
• Lead and support infrastructure modernization, data-center migration, platform-upgrade, automation, and cloud-integration projects

Required Skills / Experience (Must-Haves)

• 7+ years of enterprise Linux administration or engineering experience
• Extensive hands-on experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Strong experience building and maintaining RHEL Gold Images
• Hands-on administration of Red Hat Satellite
• Advanced experience with Ansible Automation Platform
• Strong scripting experience with Bash, Shell, and/or Python
• Experience creating, maintaining, and deploying custom RPM packages in large enterprise environments

Preferred Skills / Experience (Nice-to-Haves)

• Red Hat certifications such as RHCSA or RHCE
• Experience supporting Linux workloads in Amazon Web Services
• Experience with Microsoft Azure or hybrid-cloud environments
• Knowledge of Terraform and Infrastructure as Code practices
• Experience with VMware or other enterprise virtualization platforms
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps methodologies
• Experience with Linux security hardening, vulnerability remediation, and compliance validation

Key Competencies & Behaviors

• Advanced troubleshooting and Linux performance-tuning abilities
• Strong ownership and ability to independently drive technical deliverables
• Clear written and verbal communication with thorough documentation skills
• Collaborative approach when partnering with Infrastructure, Cloud, Security, and Application teams
• Ability to lead infrastructure initiatives while managing multiple technical priorities

Work Environment

• Work Location: Oakland, CA
• Work Model: Hybrid, onsite attendance required every Tuesday

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay Range: The approximate pay range for this position is between $49.00 and $70.00. Please note that the pay range provided is a good-faith estimate. Final compensation may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, background, knowledge, skills, and location. We comply with local wage minimums.
• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance Plans
• Employee-Owned Profit Sharing (ESOP)
• 401(k) offered

About KellyMitchell

At KellyMitchell, our culture is world class. We’re movers and shakers! We don’t mind a bit of friendly competition, and we reward hard work with unlimited potential for growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join a company known for innovative solutions and unsurpassed customer service. We’re passionate about helping companies solve their biggest IT staffing and project-solutions challenges. As an employee-owned, women-led organization serving Fortune 500 companies nationwide, we deliver expert service at a moment’s notice.