Operations Engineer II (Linux Admin) - Chennai
ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development.
The Operation Engineer II will be responsible for production, non-production, and project support for all Linux and Unix systems.
They will provide Linux system administration support for critical production environments, ensuring high availability and reliability.
They will manage system performance, patching, monitoring, and troubleshooting across infrastructure layers.
They will deliver 24/7 operational support, handling incidents, problems, and changes in line with ITIL practices.
They will collaborate with storage, middleware, database, and network teams to resolve complex issues.
They will develop automation and support CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code initiatives.
They will maintain documentation, enforce security standards, and contribute to continuous service improvement.
Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled Operations Engineer II with strong expertise in Linux system administration to support and maintain critical production environments. This role focuses on ensuring high availability, performance, and reliability of infrastructure while contributing to automation and continuous improvement initiatives, aligned with ITIL best practices.
Key Responsibilities
- Linux System Administration
- Manage, configure, and maintain Linux-based servers (e.g., RHEL, CentOS, Oracle Linux).
- Perform system patching, updates, and upgrades in accordance with company standards.
- Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues across infrastructure layers.
- Operational Support
- Provide 24/7 operational support (on-call rotation as required).
- Diagnose and resolve incidents, outages, and performance bottlenecks.
- Execute root cause analysis (RCA) and implement preventive measures.
- Monitoring & Alerting
- Utilize monitoring tools (e.g., Solarwinds, Prometheus, Grafana) to track system health.
- Respond proactively to alerts and ensure SLA adherence.
- Automation & Scripting
- Develop and maintain automation scripts (e.g., Bash, Python) to streamline operations.
- Support infrastructure-as-code initiatives using tools like Ansible, or similar.
- Cross-Team Collaboration
- Work closely with Storage, Middleware, Database, and Network teams to support integrated infrastructure and application environments.
- Coordinate troubleshooting efforts across teams to resolve complex, multi-layer issues.
- Participate in change planning, capacity management, and system design discussions.
- ITIL Process Alignment
- Operate within ITIL frameworks, including Incident, Problem, Change, and Request Management.
- Ensure proper documentation, prioritization, escalation, and resolution of tickets in line with SLAs/OLAs.
- Security & Compliance
- Implement security best practices, including access control, patching, and vulnerability remediation.
- Ensure systems comply with internal and external audit requirements.
- Documentation
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for systems, processes, and troubleshooting procedures.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 5+ years of experience in Linux system administration.
- Strong knowledge of:
- Linux OS internals and commands.
- Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, SSH, firewalls).
- File systems, storage management, and system performance tuning.
- Experience with scripting languages such as Bash, Python, or Shell scripting.
- Familiarity with ITIL processes and service management frameworks.
- Hands-on experience with monitoring and logging tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP)
- Familiarity with container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift).
- Knowledge of CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps).
- Experience with configuration management tools (Satellite Server, Ansible, or similar).
- Exposure to virtualization technologies (VMware).
- Certifications such as RHCSA, RHCE, or equivalent.
Key Competencies
- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills.
- Proactive mindset with a focus on automation and continuous improvement.
- Understanding of service management and operational excellence principles.
- Attention to detail and commitment to quality.
Working Conditions
- May require participation in an on-call rotation.
- Occasional off-hours work for maintenance or incident response.
Customer Support/Operations.
What ICON can offer you:
Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.
In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.
Our benefits examples include:
- Various annual leave entitlements
- A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
- Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
- Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.
- Life assurance
- Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.
