Senior Systems Engineer - Linux Operations

Company Description

It all started in sunny San Diego, California in 2004 when a visionary engineer, Fred Luddy, saw the potential to transform how we work. Fast forward to today — ServiceNow stands as a global market leader, bringing innovative AI-enhanced technology to over 8,100 customers, including 85% of the Fortune 500®. Our intelligent cloud-based platform seamlessly connects people, systems, and processes to empower organizations to find smarter, faster, and better ways to work. But this is just the beginning of our journey. Join us as we pursue our purpose to make the world work better for everyone.

Job Description

NOTE: This position requires passing a ServiceNow background screening, USFedPASS (US Federal Personnel Authorization Screening Standards). This includes a credit check, criminal/misdemeanor check and taking a drug test. Any employment is contingent upon passing the screening. Due to Federal requirements, only US citizens, US naturalized citizens or US Permanent Residents, holding a green card, will be considered. 

This role will require 2-3 days in the office at our San Diego, CA OR Kirkland, WA OR Santa Clara, CA OR Orlando, FL Office Location.

We are seeking a Systems Engineer with a strong operational focus to support and enhance our Red Hat Linux environment. This role is essential in ensuring the stability, security, and efficiency of our Linux infrastructure by addressing incidents, resolving problems, and managing operational interruptions.

The ideal candidate is self-driven, highly motivated, and thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. They will play a key role in troubleshooting Linux configuration issues, interoperability challenges, and performance optimizations while contributing to operational excellence.

This role will be part of an on-call rotation to ensure system reliability and availability as part of the Systems Engineering organization’s delivery model.

What you get to do in this role:

• Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve Linux-related incidents, problems, and system interruptions.
• Perform Linux system administration, focusing on configuration management, security, and performance tuning.
• Manage and tune kernel parameters to optimize system performance and stability.
• Perform in-depth debugging of kernel issues, including crash dumps, oops messages, and performance bottlenecks.
• Manage YUM repositories, RPM package deployment, and vulnerability remediation.
• Utilize Bash scripting and CLI tools to automate routine tasks and streamline operations.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipeline builds using GitLab to enhance system automation and deployment workflows.
• Ensure systems are compliant with security policies (e.g., DISA STIGs, CIS benchmarks).
• Configure and audit SELinux, auditd, and other security-related kernel modules.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to proactively address system vulnerabilities and ensure compliance.
• Participate in an on-call rotation to support 24/7 Linux infrastructure availability.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role you have:

• Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI's potential impact on the function or industry.
• 4+ years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 3 years and a Master's degree; or equivalent work experience.
• Proven experience in Red Hat Linux system administration.
• Strong knowledge of Linux troubleshooting, configuration management, and performance tuning.
• Hands-on experience with Bash scripting and command-line tools for automation.
• Familiarity with YUM repositories, RPM package management, and Linux vulnerability remediation.
• Experience working with CI/CD pipeline builds in GitLab.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a focus on operational excellence.
• Understanding of networking, storage, and security principles in a Linux ecosystem

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with configuration management tools (Puppet, Foreman, Ansible, etc.).
• Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure) in a Linux operational role.

Who You Are:

• A proactive problem solver who takes ownership of operational issues and drives them to resolution.
• Passionate about automation and operational efficiency.
• A team player who enjoys collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Comfortable in high-pressure environments, capable of making sound decisions under constraints.

If you’re l