Key Responsibilities
- Lead a team of UNIX/Linux system administrators in managing enterprise AIX and RHEL environments.
- Define and implement operational standards, best practices, and automation frameworks for system builds, configuration, and maintenance.
- Act as the primary technical escalation point for complex UNIX/Linux infrastructure issues.
- Collaborate with architecture, storage, network, security, and application teams to deliver integrated infrastructure solutions.
- Manage the installation, configuration, patching, and lifecycle management of AIX (Power Systems) and RHEL servers.
- Maintain and administer logical partitions (LPARs), volume groups, and filesystems on AIX systems using tools such as HMC, VIOS, and NIM.
- Administer Red Hat Satellite for patch management and system provisioning.
- Monitor system health, availability, and performance using enterprise tools (e.g., Nagios, Red Hat Insights, BigFix, or similar).
- Coordinate and validate OS migrations, upgrades, and hardware refreshes across multiple data centers or cloud environments.
- Develop and maintain automation scripts using Bash, Python, or Ansible to streamline provisioning, patching, and configuration.
- Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices where applicable to improve consistency and scalability.
- Ensure adherence to corporate and industry security standards (CIS, NIST, SOX, PCI).
- Perform regular security patching, system hardening, and vulnerability remediation.
- Manage access controls, sudo policies, and identity integration with LDAP/Active Directory.
- Participate in security audits and develop corrective action plans as needed.
- Drive root cause analysis (RCA) for major incidents and implement preventive measures.
- Lead capacity planning, forecasting, and performance tuning efforts.
- Maintain comprehensive system documentation and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Provide after-hours or on-call support for high-priority incidents when required.
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Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
- 8+ years of UNIX/Linux system administration experience in large-scale enterprise environments.
- 3+ years in a lead or senior-level capacity managing AIX and Red Hat environments.
- Deep expertise with IBM Power Systems, AIX LPAR/VIOS management, and NIM-based deployments.
- Strong proficiency in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL 5/6/7/8/9), including package management (YUM/DNF), SELinux, and systemd.
- Experience with automation and configuration tools (Ansible, Puppet, or Chef).
- Solid understanding of networking, storage (SAN/NFS), and backup/recovery principles.
- Proven track record in system performance tuning, troubleshooting, and capacity management.
Preferred Certifications
- Certifications such as Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Linux Foundation Certified Engineer (LFCE), or IBM Certified AIX System Administrator.
- Familiarity with cloud and virtualization platforms (VMware, PowerVM, AWS, or Azure).
- Experience integrating UNIX/Linux systems into hybrid cloud or container environments (OpenShift, Kubernetes).
- Knowledge of monitoring, observability, and ITSM tools (ServiceNow, Dynatrace, etc.).
Soft Skills
- Leadership and mentoring in a technical team environment.
- Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
- Strong communication and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
- Commitment to operational excellence, reliability, and continuous improvement.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
- Excellent communication and documentation abilities.
- Leadership mindset with a focus on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage technical deliverables end-to-end.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, enterprise-scale environment.
