Hiring Linux Developers: The Complete Guide

# Linux Engineer / Linux Administrator

**Location:** Chicago, IL (Hybrid) · **Employment Type:** Full-time · **Level:** Mid-Senior
**Salary Range:** $130,000 - $170,000

## About [Company]

[Company] operates a cloud-native platform that processes millions of transactions daily, serving enterprise customers across financial services, healthcare, and e-commerce. Our Linux infrastructure powers critical services handling 50+ million API requests per day with 99.9% uptime.

We manage 200+ Linux servers across AWS EC2, running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and RHEL 8, supporting containerized microservices, databases, and real-time data processing pipelines. Our team values automation, reliability, and systematic problem-solving—we write scripts, not runbooks.

**Why join [Company]?**

- Manage Linux infrastructure at scale (200+ servers, millions of daily requests)
- Work with modern DevOps practices: Infrastructure-as-Code, automated deployments, and observability
- Join a team of 8 infrastructure engineers with deep Linux expertise
- Series B funded company with strong growth trajectory
- Competitive compensation with equity participation

## The Role

We're looking for a Linux Engineer (also known as Linux Administrator or Systems Engineer) to join our Infrastructure team. You'll be responsible for managing, optimizing, and troubleshooting our Linux-based infrastructure—from provisioning new servers to debugging production incidents that affect thousands of users.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience managing Linux systems in production, writes shell scripts for automation, and approaches troubleshooting methodically. You'll work closely with our DevOps engineers, backend developers, and SRE team to ensure our Linux infrastructure is reliable, secure, and performant.

## Objectives of This Role

- Maintain and optimize Linux infrastructure supporting 50M+ daily API requests
- Automate server provisioning, configuration, and maintenance tasks
- Troubleshoot production issues quickly and systematically
- Improve system performance and reduce manual operational overhead
- Contribute to infrastructure-as-code initiatives and deployment automation

## Responsibilities

- Manage Linux servers (Ubuntu, RHEL) across AWS EC2 and on-premises environments
- Write and maintain shell scripts (bash) for automation and system administration tasks
- Configure and manage system services using systemd
- Monitor system performance, resource usage, and application health
- Troubleshoot production incidents: analyze logs, identify root causes, implement fixes
- Manage user accounts, permissions, and security configurations
- Implement and maintain backup and disaster recovery procedures
- Configure and optimize network settings, firewalls (iptables/ufw), and security policies
- Collaborate with DevOps team on CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
- Document system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guides
- Participate in on-call rotation (1 week every 6 weeks) for production support
- Perform system updates, security patches, and kernel upgrades
- Optimize system performance: CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network throughput

## Required Skills and Qualifications

- 3+ years of professional Linux system administration experience
- Strong command-line proficiency: navigating filesystem, using common commands (grep, find, awk, sed)
- Experience writing shell scripts (bash) for automation and system administration
- Deep understanding of Linux internals: process management, file permissions, system services
- Experience with systemd or init systems for service management
- Knowledge of Linux security: user management, file permissions, firewall configuration
- Experience troubleshooting production Linux systems: analyzing logs, diagnosing performance issues
- Understanding of networking: TCP/IP, DNS, SSH, network troubleshooting
- Familiarity with package management (apt, yum, dnf)
- Experience with monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or similar)
- Strong problem-solving skills and systematic approach to debugging
- Clear communication skills for documenting issues and collaborating with teams

## Preferred Skills and Qualifications

- Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Terraform)
- Cloud platform experience (AWS EC2, Google Compute Engine, Azure)
- Containerization experience (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Python or Go scripting experience for automation beyond shell scripts
- Experience with configuration management at scale (managing 50+ servers)
- Knowledge of performance tuning: kernel parameters, system optimization
- Background in DevOps or Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
- Experience with log aggregation tools (ELK stack, Splunk, Loki)
- Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
- Linux certifications (RHCE, LFCS) are a plus but not required

## Tech Stack

- **Operating Systems:** Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (primary), RHEL 8
- **Cloud Infrastructure:** AWS EC2, Auto Scaling Groups, Load Balancers
- **Configuration Management:** Ansible for server provisioning and configuration
- **Containers:** Docker, Kubernetes (EKS) for containerized workloads
- **Monitoring:** Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog for metrics and alerting
- **Logging:** ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) for log aggregation
- **Scripting:** Bash (primary), Python for complex automation
- **Version Control:** Git, GitHub for infrastructure code
- **CI/CD:** GitHub Actions for automated deployments

## Compensation and Benefits

**Salary:** $130,000 - $170,000 (based on experience)

**Equity:** 0.02% - 0.08% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)

**Benefits:**

- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% covered for employees, 80% for dependents)
- Unlimited PTO with 15-day minimum encouraged
- $2,000 annual learning and development budget
- $1,500 home office setup allowance
- 401(k) with 4% company match
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
- On-call compensation: $300/week when primary on-call
- Hybrid work model: 3 days in Chicago office, 2 days remote

## Interview Process

Our interview process typically takes 2-3 weeks. We provide feedback at every stage.

- **Step 1: Recruiter Screen** (30 min) - We'll discuss your background, Linux experience, and answer your questions about the role.

- **Step 2: Technical Screen** (60 min) - A conversation about Linux fundamentals, shell scripting, and past system administration projects. We'll discuss how you've troubleshooted production issues.

- **Step 3: System Troubleshooting** (60 min) - Walk through debugging a Linux system issue: "A server is running slowly. How would you investigate?" We'll discuss your approach to diagnosing problems.

- **Step 4: Scripting Exercise** (90 min) - Write a bash script to automate a real system administration task. No LeetCode puzzles—practical Linux work.

- **Step 5: Team Interviews** (2 x 30 min) - Meet potential teammates and discuss collaboration, on-call experiences, and infrastructure challenges.

- **Step 6: Hiring Manager** (30 min) - Discuss career goals, team culture, and next steps.

We pay $200 for take-home exercises over 3 hours.

## How to Apply

Submit your resume and optionally include links to:
- GitHub repositories with shell scripts or automation code
- Blog posts or documentation you've written about Linux systems
- Any open-source contributions related to Linux or system administration

We review every application and respond within 5 business days.

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*[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from candidates who may not meet 100% of the qualifications—research shows underrepresented groups are less likely to apply unless they meet every requirement.*