Linux Administrator (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London) at Genomics England

Genomics England partners with the NHS to provide whole genome sequencing diagnostics. We also equip researchers to find the causes of disease and develop new treatments – with patients and participants at the heart of it all.

Our mission is to continue refining, scaling, and evolving our ability to enable others to deliver genomic healthcare and conduct genomic research.

We are accelerating our impact and working with patients, doctors, scientists, government and industry to improve genomic testing, and help researchers access the health data and technology they need to make new medical discoveries and create more effective, targeted medicines for everybody.

We’re on the lookout for a skilled and highly experienced Linux Administrator with the proven expertise to tackle complex HPC and cloud infrastructure challenges at scale, powering genomic research that's making a real difference.

At Genomics England, our platforms handle some of the most complex and important data in healthcare. As an experienced Linux Administrator, you’ll help shape the infrastructure that powers large-scale genomic analysis, from high performance computing clusters through to cloud-native services in AWS. This is about building ultra reliable, scalable systems that make a real impact for patients and researchers. You’ll be part of the Infrastructure Services HPC team, using your proven skills to build and run the platforms that underpin large-scale genomic data processing and analysis.

As a seasoned Linux Administrator, you will play a central role in managing and maintaining Linux-based systems within our organisation. You will be responsible for ensuring the stability, security, and optimal performance of our estate of Linux servers. The Linux Administrator collaborates with the Scalable Tech Infrastructure Services team to handle Linux-based infrastructure, troubleshoot issues, and provide technical support to users. This role requires a strong understanding of Linux operating systems, networking, and scripting languages.

What you’ll be doing:

• Installing, configuring and maintaining Linux operating systems and related software.
• Monitoring system performance, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring high availability and reliability of Linux-based infrastructure.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and implement Linux-based solutions that meet business needs.
• Implementing and maintaining security controls to protect our Linux-based systems from unauthorised access and to ensure compliance with industry regulations.
• Performing regular system backups and disaster recovery procedures to minimise the risk of data loss and maintain business continuity.
• Automating system administrative tasks using scripting languages such as Bash or Python to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
• Managing user accounts, permissions, and access controls to ensure appropriate system security and data integrity.
• Installing, configuring, and maintaining network services, including DNS, NTP, DHCP, and LDAP.
• Collaborating with colleagues to troubleshoot and resolve software compatibility issues on Linux platforms.
• Evaluating and recommending hardware and software upgrades to improve system performance and scalability.

What you’ll bring:

• Strong, demonstrable knowledge of Linux operating systems, including Ubuntu, CentOS, Rocky, ALMA and/or Red Hat.
• Proficiency in Linux command-line interface (CLI) and shell scripting.
• Strong understanding of server hardware and experience in server management.
• Experience with virtualisation technologies, such as VMware or Nutanix.
• Familiarity with networking concepts, protocols, and services, including TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, L2/L3 concepts including VLANs, and VPN.
• Knowledge of storage technologies, such as RAID, SAN, and NAS. 
• Understanding of security best practices and experience in implementing security measures on Linux systems.
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with the ability to quickly identify and resolve technical issues. A compulsion to perform RCA (Root Cause Analysis) is a must.
• Ability to work independently and in a team-oriented environment, collaborating with cross-functional teams. 
• Strong communication skills to effectively communicate technical concepts and solutions to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Detail-oriented mindset with a focus on accuracy and attention to detail.
• Some knowledge of public cloud platforms, such as AWS or Azure.

Bonus if you have:

• Industry certifications, such as Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
• Experience with Object Storage and high performance parallel filesystems such as WEKA/Lustre 
• Experience with BAU/Ops/Support/OOH work and rotas
• Experience with configuration management tools, such as Ansible or RedHat Satellite
• Familiarity with monitoring tools like DataDog, Nagios or Zabbix
• Experience with debuggers or profilers
• Working knowledge of container platforms (Docker/Singularity) and CICD
• Experience with Terraform or equivalent orchestration tooling
• Ability to adapt to new technologies and stay updated with industry trends and advancements in Linux administration
• Hands on AWS experience
• Hands on experience with High Performance Compute (HPC) pipelines or data pipelines
• Familiarity with secure data handling in regulated or research settings
• Background in healthcare, genomics, or life sciences 

Qualifications are not mandatory; however, Linux, Red Hat, or AWS certifications are welcome and highly beneficial

Salary from: £71,500

Closing Date: Sunday 21st September at 23:00pm (UK time)

Being an integral part of such a meaningful mission is extremely rewarding in itself, but in order to support our people, we’re continually improving our benefits package. We pride ourselves on investing in our people and supporting them to achieve their career goals, as well as offering a benefits package including: 

• Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, additional leave for long service, and the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family-Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension & Financial: Defined contribution pension (Genomics England double-matches up to 10%, however you can contribute more if you wish), Life Assurance (3x salary), and a Give As You Earn scheme.
• Learning & Development: Individual learning budgets, support for training and certifications, and reimbursement for one annual professional subscription (approval required).
• Recognition & Rewards: Employee recognition programme and referral scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing: Subsidised gym membership, a free Headspace account, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme, eye tests, flu jabs.

Equal opportunities and our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace 

Genomics England is actively committed to providing and supporting an inclusive environment that promotes equity, diversity and inclusion best practice both within our community and in any other area where we have influence. We are proud of our diverse community where everyone can come to work and feel welcomed and treated with respect regardless of any disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or social background. 

Genomics England’s policies of non-discrimination and equity and will be applied fairly to all people, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, being pregnant or recently becoming a parent, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation, length of service, whether full or part-time or employed under a permanent or a fixed-term contract or any other relevant factor.  

Genomics England does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, victimisation or bullying at work. Such behaviour is contrary to our virtues, undermines our mission and core values and diminishes the dignity, respect and integrity of all parties.  Our People policies outline our commitment to inclusivity. 

We aim to remove barriers in our recruitment processes and to be flexible with our interview processes. Should you require any adjustments that may help you to fully participate in the recruitment process, we encourage you to discuss this with us. 

Blended working model

Genomics England operates a blended working model as we know our people appreciate the flexibility that hybrid working can bring. We expect most people to come into the office a minimum of 2 times each month. However, this will vary according to role and will be agreed with your team leader. There is no expectation that people will return to the office full time unless they want to, however, some of our roles require full time on site attendance e.g., lab teams, reception team. 

Our teams and squads have, and will continue to reflect on what works best for them to work together successfully and have the freedom to design working patterns to suit, beyond the minimum. Our office locations are: Canary Wharf, Cambridge and Leeds.

Onboarding background checks

As part of our recruitment process, all successful candidates are subject to a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.  We therefore require applicants to disclose any previous offences at point of application, as some unspent convictions may mean we are unable to proceed with your application due to the nature of our work in healthcare.