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# Linux SME / Technical Lead

- **Company:** Hays plc
- **Location:** London, UK
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Temporary contract
- **Skills:** Bash Shell, Cluster Analysis, Linux, Python (Programming Language), Linux System Administration, Performance Tuning, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Reliability Engineering, Ansible, System Availability, Git Flow, Patch Management, Terraform
- **Published:** September 24, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.jobs.service.gov.uk/jobs/6ab4f4d51aefa16aca95fd50/apply

## About the Role

* Extensive experience supporting and administering enterprise Linux environments (RHEL, Rocky Linux, CentOS or similar)
 * Proven experience operating as a Linux SME, Technical Lead or Senior Linux Engineer within large-scale enterprise environments
 * Strong hands-on experience with Linux system administration, troubleshooting, performance tuning, patch management and server lifecycle management
 * Experience with automation technologies including Ansible Automation Platform (AAP), Python, Bash, Terraform and GitOps
 * Strong understanding of high availability, clustering, resilience and service continuity principles
 * Experience leading incident, problem and change management activities within production environments
 * Knowledge of Infrastructure Reliability Engineering (IRE), Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) or Platform Engineering practices
 * Experience supporting infrastructure transformation, automation and operational improvement initiatives
 * Strong understanding of operational governance, risk management and ITIL-aligned service management processes
 * Ability to act as the senior escalation point for complex Linux and platform-related issues
 * Experience working closely with infrastructure, security, architecture and engineering teams
 * Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
 * Financial services or experience within a highly regulated environment is highly desirable
 * Experience with storage, backup and wider infrastructure technologies would be beneficial

## Description

As the Linux SME / Technical Lead, you will act as the senior technical authority for the Linux estate, providing hands-on support, technical leadership and operational governance across enterprise platforms. You'll work closely with infrastructure operations, reliability engineering, security and platform teams to ensure the continued availability, resilience and performance of critical services. The role requires someone who is comfortable remaining technically hands-on whilst leading operational activities, managing major incidents and driving continuous improvement.


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