Linux Administrator

Job Description: Linux Administrator L2

Role Summary

The Linux Administrator L2 will be responsible for the administration, maintenance, availability, performance, and security of enterprise Linux server environments. The role will provide L2 operational support, troubleshoot infrastructure issues, perform patching and upgrades, support security compliance, and ensure services are delivered within agreed SLA requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and support Linux server environments, primarily Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and other supported Linux distributions.
• Perform Linux OS installation, configuration, upgrade, patching, and ongoing maintenance.
• Handle L2 incidents and service requests, perform technical troubleshooting, and restore services within defined SLA timelines.
• Monitor server health, CPU, memory, filesystem, disk I/O, processes, services, and overall system performance.
• Perform Linux OS patching, vulnerability remediation, security hardening, and compliance activities.
• Manage users, groups, permissions, sudo access, file ownership, and other OS-level security configurations.
• Manage Linux filesystems, LVM, mounting, disk management, filesystem expansion, and storage-related activities.
• Configure and troubleshoot Linux services, network interfaces, DNS, NTP/chrony, SSH, and system connectivity.
• Troubleshoot server boot issues, service failures, high CPU/memory utilization, filesystem utilization, and OS-level performance problems.
• Perform log analysis using tools such as journalctl, syslog/rsyslog, dmesg, sar, vmstat, iostat, top, and system logs.
• Support backup, restore, recovery, and Disaster Recovery (DR) activities for Linux infrastructure.
• Perform routine system health checks and take proactive actions to improve availability, stability, capacity, and performance.
• Support security controls including CIS hardening, access controls, vulnerability remediation, and audit/compliance requirements.
• Support EOL/EOS remediation, OS upgrades, server migration, and infrastructure refresh initiatives.
• Participate in incident, problem, change, configuration, and release management processes.
• Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for recurring or major Linux infrastructure incidents and implement corrective/preventive actions.
• Create and maintain SOPs, runbooks, technical documentation, configuration details, and operational procedures.
• Coordinate with application, database, VMware, cloud, storage, backup, network, and security teams for troubleshooting and planned activities.
• Work with OEM/vendor support, including Red Hat Support, for complex issues requiring L3/vendor intervention.
• Support automation of routine administration activities using Shell/Bash scripting and, where applicable, Ansible.
• Participate in planned changes, maintenance windows, DR drills, infrastructure migrations, and production support activities.
• Provide 24x7 rotational/on-call support for business-critical environments where required.

Technical Skills

Mandatory/Core Skills:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
• Linux Administration & Troubleshooting
• OS Installation, Configuration & Patching
• Linux Security & Hardening
• User & Access Management
• LVM & Filesystem Management
• Performance Monitoring & Troubleshooting
• Network & Service Troubleshooting
• Shell/Bash Scripting
• Incident, Problem & Change Management
• Backup/Restore & DR Support
• Vulnerability & Compliance Remediation

Good to Have:

• Ansible Automation
• VMware/Virtualization knowledge
• Red Hat Satellite
• SAN/NAS concepts
• Cloud exposure such as AWS or Microsoft Azure
• Monitoring tools such as Nagios, Zabbix, SolarWinds, or enterprise monitoring platforms
• ITIL-based managed services experience

Experience & Competencies

• Typically 5 to 6+ years of hands-on Linux administration experience, depending on the complexity of the environment.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across Linux OS, filesystem, network, performance, and security issues.
• Experience supporting enterprise production environments and 24x7 managed services.
• Ability to perform RCA and implement preventive actions for recurring infrastructure issues.
• Good communication and documentation skills with the ability to coordinate with technical teams, vendors, and customer stakeholders.

Preferred Certifications

• RHCSA: Red Hat Certified System Administrator
• RHCE: Red Hat Certified Engineer, preferred for stronger L2 profiles
• ITIL Foundation
• Relevant AWS/Azure certification is an added advantage

RPL Skill Summary

Primary Skills:
RHEL | Linux Administration | L2 Support | OS Patching | Vulnerability Remediation | CIS Hardening | LVM | Performance Troubleshooting | Shell Scripting | RCA | Incident/Change Management | 24x7 Production Support