Linux Systems Administrator

Linux Systems Administrator

Chicago, IL - on site 3 days a week

C2C

Rate: Open

In this contract role, you will be responsible for the deployment, maintenance, security, and optimization of our Linux server infrastructure. The ideal candidate has strong expertise in Linux administration, automation tools like Ansible, AWS cloud services, vulnerability management, ServiceNow experience, and in-place upgrade methodologies particularly with RHEL systems, with a proven track record of troubleshooting complex system issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Deploy, configure, and maintain Linux servers in both physical, virtual, and AWS cloud environments
• Implement and manage automated server provisioning using Ansible and other automation tools
• Plan and execute regular system patches and upgrades to ensure security and performance
• Design and implement AWS infrastructure following best practices and cost optimization strategies
• Manage AWS services including EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, RDS, and other relevant services
• Identify, assess, and remediate vulnerabilities within Linux systems and applications
• Conduct regular review of vulnerability scans reports and implement remediation strategies
• Knowledge of creating content views and managing lifecycle environments in Red Hat Satellite
• Create and manage JIRA, ServiceNow tickets, workflows, and change management processes
• Monitor system health, performance, and capacity, taking proactive measures to prevent issues
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex server issues in a timely manner
• Implement security best practices and ensure compliance with organizational policies
• Create and maintain documentation for system configurations and procedures
• Participate in on-call rotation for emergency support
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on infrastructure projects and improvements

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Linux system administration (RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu)
• Strong knowledge of server deployment and configuration management
• Expertise in patch management and system upgrade procedures
• Proven troubleshooting skills for Linux systems and applications
• Experience with AWS cloud services and infrastructure management
• Experience with Ansible or similar automation/configuration management tools
• Knowledge of vulnerability assessment tools and remediation techniques
• Experience using ServiceNow for incident management, change management, and workflows
• Familiarity with virtualization technologies (VMware, KVM, etc.)
• Working knowledge of networking concepts and security principles
• Scripting skills in Bash/ksh, Python, or other relevant languages
• Excellent communication and documentation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS certifications (Solutions Architect, SysOps Administrator)
• Linux certifications (RHCSA, RHCE, LPIC, etc.)
• Experience with security frameworks (NIST, CIS, etc.)
• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Familiarity with monitoring solutions (Logic Monitor, Splunk, Qualys, CrowdStrike, CloudWatch, Nagios, Prometheus, etc.)
• Background in implementing high-availability solutions across multiple AWS regions
• Knowledge of content views and lifecycle environments in RedHat Satellite