Senior Linux/Unix Systems Engineer

Job#: 3056712
Job Description:
Senior Linux/Unix Systems Engineer
Location: Washington, D.C. (Hybrid)
Role Overview
The Senior Linux/Unix Systems Engineer will serve as the senior technical authority for the agency's Linux platform. This hands-on engineering role holds design ownership for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Oracle Linux environment hosting mission-critical applications. Responsibilities include defining platform standards, designing automation workflows, leading modernization initiatives, and serving as the final escalation point for complex technical issues. The position requires a balance of advanced technical execution and mentorship of junior administration staff.
Key Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the enterprise patch and configuration management architecture using Red Hat Satellite and Ansible to establish automated, version-controlled workflows.
• Lead operating system lifecycle management and major version migration engineering, including upgrade paths, database operating systems, and migrations from on-premises environments to cloud structures.
• Author and maintain security hardening baselines aligned to industry benchmarks, manage vulnerability remediation, and support federal compliance frameworks.
• Perform performance engineering, capacity planning, and trend analysis to proactively remediate systemic platform conditions.
• Engineer and validate high availability, backup, and disaster recovery solutions through scheduled testing.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for platform incidents, leading technical recovery efforts and authoring formal root cause analyses.
• Mentor junior and mid-level systems administrators, conducting peer reviews of scripts, configurations, and change records.
• Represent the systems engineering platform in change control, architecture review, and technical planning forums to brief stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalent professional experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Must have at least 8 years of Linux RHEL experience
• 8+ years of progressive Linux/Unix administration and engineering experience, with 3+ years performing at a senior, lead, or principal level with design and architecture ownership in an enterprise environment.
• Advanced Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration, working knowledge of Oracle Linux, and experience with enterprise automation tools like Ansible or Red Hat Satellite.
• Proficiency in shell scripting languages such as Bash or Python, version control systems like Git, virtualization technologies, and networking protocols including TCP/IP, DNS, and HTTP/HTTPS is required.

Required Certifications

• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
• Security+ Certification

Preferred Qualifications

• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC-2)
• CompTIA Linux+
• AWS or Microsoft Azure associate-level certification

PLEASE NOTE:
Candidates must be able to obtain and/or maintain a Public Trust clearance as a condition and continuation of employment.
Everforth Apex is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Everforth Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRateds Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico.
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