Linux engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

JOB DESCRIPTION

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Key Responsibilities

1) MSP Collaboration (Individual Contributor Technical Oversight)

• Work directly with MSP engineers to execute platform work: define technical requirements, review/validate changes, and ensure runbooks and automation/IaC are usable and repeatable.

• Provide escalation support for complex incidents/problems; partner with MSP on root-cause analysis and ensure preventive actions are captured (automation, standards, documentation).

2) Hybrid Compute Platform SME (Linux/UNIX/Windows)

• Guide engineering and operations for Linux/UNIX and Windows Server across physical and virtual footprints; ensure best practices for reliability, security, and performance.

• Define and maintain OS configuration standards, gold images, hardening alignment, patching approaches, and runbook content—implemented by MSP teams.

• Provide deep technical consultation on troubleshooting (performance, storage, networking dependencies, auth, patch failures) and validate remediation plans.

3) IaC Governance & Design Oversight (Terraform/Ansible)

• Own technical patterns and guardrails for Terraform modules and Ansible playbooks used in production; ensure assets are reusable, parameterized, and well-documented for MSP execution.

• Perform design and code reviews of IaC delivered by MSPs; ensure state practices, idempotency, logging, validation, and rollback/restore approaches are defined and followed.

• Working with CNA’s Architecture team, define reference architectures and blueprints for provisioning and lifecycle workflows; partner with MSPs to implement via pipelines and runbooks.

4) Automation Strategy & Orchestration

• Drive automation strategy to reduce toil in provisioning, configuration, patch orchestration, compliance checks, and drift remediation; prioritize use cases with measurable operational impact.

• Establish operational safety standards for automation (input validation, least privilege, error handling, observability, and auditability) and ensure MSP adoption.

• Guide development patterns for scripting (shell, Python, PowerShell) used by MSPs; review approach and quality rather than writing most scripts personally.

5) Modernization & Lifecycle Management (LCM)

• Lead the technical design and validation for lifecycle upgrades (OS and dependent components up to app readiness coordination), including validation and rollback readiness.

• Drive end-of-life/end-of-support remediation technical plans and ensure MSP execution adheres to standards and change governance.

• Guide consolidation and rationalization efforts (workload moves, decommissions) with a focus on reliability, risk reduction, and cost outcomes.

6) Private Cloud / Virtualization (Preferred VxRail)

• Provide SME guidance for private cloud compute platforms and virtualization operations; hyperconverged experience preferred (VxRail).

• Guide cluster lifecycle activities (capacity inputs, node adds/replacements, compatibility alignment, upgrades) in coordination with platform owners and MSP teams.

7) CMDB & Discovery Alignment (Servers & Storage)

• Ensure technical requirements for accurate CMDB representation of servers and storage are defined (CI attributes, relationships, ownership, lifecycle status).

• Partner with CMDB/ITOM stakeholders and MSPs to improve data quality via discovery and connector-driven inputs; validate reconciliation and hygiene outcomes.

• Drive exception handling standards (orphan cleanup, duplicates, lifecycle integrity) to support auditability and service visibility.

8) AI-Enabled Operations (Practical Adoption)

• Identify practical AI use cases that reduce toil and improve MTTR (incident summarization, guided triage, remediation recommendations, automation triggers).

• Support operationalization of AI agents/agentic frameworks integrated with IT operations workflows (ITSM, automation, CMDB hygiene) with guardrails and auditability.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on experience administering directory or identity services in a large enterprise environment.

• Extensive prior hands-on experience in enterprise Linux/UNIX and Windows server engineering/administration, enabling deep technical guidance and troubleshooting.

• Proven ability to lead and influence technical outcomes in an outsourced/MSP operating model (executing through MSP resources, validating deliverables, escalating issues).

• Strong technical depth in compute troubleshooting and design (root cause analysis, performance, patching, hardening, lifecycle upgrades, reliability engineering).

• Infrastructure as Code experience (Terraform and Ansible) with a focus on standards, architecture, review, and operationalization in production environments.

• Scripting literacy in shell, Python, and PowerShell (ability to review/guide code and patterns; hands-on background required even if not primary author).

• Demonstrated experience driving modernization/lifecycle initiatives (OS upgrades and broader stack upgrades) with validation and rollback discipline.

• Understanding of CMDB/server & storage mapping, CI lifecycle practices, and data-quality mindset.

• Working knowledge of hybrid cloud concepts (private + public cloud).

Preferred Qualifications

• BS degree in Computer Science is preferred.

• Hyperconverged platform experience; VxRail preferred.

• Experience aligning IaC/automation with ITSM/CMDB workflows (provisioning, discovery alignment, CI hygiene).

• Practical exposure to AI-enabled operations / automation agents in production support contexts.

• Experience designing reference architectures and standards for large-scale compute platforms (multi-environment, regulated, or highly available contexts).