Technical Lead – Linux

Job Description Job Title: Technical Lead – Linux & Cloud (OpenStack) We are seeking a Technical Lead – Linux & Cloud (OpenStack) to lead our infrastructure and hosting platforms built on open-source technologies. The ideal candidate will bring deep hands-on experience in Linux administration, OpenStack cloud environments, and security hardening, along with strong architectural understanding for scaling and maintaining our products and client deployments. You will lead infrastructure design, ensure operational excellence, and work closely with product development, cybersecurity, and DevOps teams to deliver secure, performant, and reliable solutions. Key Responsibilities Infrastructure & Cloud Management · Lead design, deployment, and lifecycle management of OpenStack-based cloud environments. · Manage and maintain PITS internal infrastructure (hybrid environment) and provide support for client environments, ensuring adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs). · Lead and drive service improvement initiatives in alignment with PITS’s Kaizen Club principles. · Manage compute, storage, and network components within OpenStack (Nova, Neutron, Cinder, Swift, Horizon). · Integrate and manage workloads across OpenStack, AWS, and Azure (hybrid environments). · Oversee system monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning, and disaster recovery. · Optimize cost, scalability, and high availability of hosting environments. Server Administration & Hosting · Administer Linux servers (Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL), web servers (Apache, Nginx), and databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL). · Manage and optimize hosting for open-source CMS platforms (WordPress, Magento, PHP-based applications). · Automate deployments and maintenance using Ansible, Terraform, or similar IaC tools. · Ensure patch management and OS lifecycle governance. Security & Compliance · Implement server hardening, firewall and network segmentation, SSH policies, and secure configuration baselines. · Work with cybersecurity teams to identify, assess, and remediate vulnerabilities. · Maintain security best practices aligned with CIS Benchmarks, ISO 27001, or SOC2 standards. · Enforce identity and access management (IAM) and encryption policies. Architecture & Automation · Design scalable infrastructure architectures for new and existing products which is fault tolerant, resilient and always available. · Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines integrated with development workflows. · Automate – monitoring, backup, and alerting using open-source tools (Zabbix, Prometheus, Grafana). · Evaluate and implement new open-source technologies to enhance performance and resilience. Leadership & Collaboration · Mentor junior engineers and administrators, providing technical direction and code reviews. · Collaborate with developers to ensure smooth deployment and performance optimization. · Partner with cybersecurity and product teams for secure architecture design. · Act as escalation point for complex production incidents. Required Skills & Experience · 10 – 12 years of experience in Linux systems engineering and cloud infrastructure. · Mandatory hands-on experience with OpenStack (deployment, operations, troubleshooting). · Proficient in: o Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL) o OpenStack components (Nova, Neutron, Keystone, Glance, Cinder, Swift) o Web servers (Apache, Nginx), PHP-FPM o Databases (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL) o CMS platforms (WordPress, Magento, Drupal) · Strong understanding of: o Networking (DNS, VLANs, load balancing, SSL/TLS) o DevOps tools (Docker, Ansible, Terraform, Git, Jenkins) o Security controls and system hardening · Experience designing and managing hybrid or multi-cloud architectures. Preferred Qualifications · Certifications: RHCE, OpenStack Administrator, AWS/Azure Architect. · Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes). · Exposure to monitoring and log analytics (ELK, Prometheus, Grafana). · Familiarity with compliance frameworks (ISO27001, SOC2, PCI DSS). Soft Skills · Strong problem-solving and analytical skills. · Excellent communication and documentation abilities. · Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex environments. · Passion for open-source technologies and continuous learning. Requirements We are seeking a Technical Lead – Linux & Cloud (OpenStack) to lead our infrastructure and hosting platforms built on open-source technologies. The ideal candidate will bring deep hands-on experience in Linux administration, OpenStack cloud environments, and security hardening, along with strong architectural understanding for scaling and maintaining our products and client deployments. You will lead infrastructure design, ensure operational excellence, and work closely with product development, cybersecurity, and DevOps teams to deliver secure, performant, and reliable solutions. Required Skills & Experience · 10 – 12 years of experience in Linux systems engineering and cloud infrastructure. · Mandatory hands-on experience with OpenStack (deployment, operations, troubleshooting). · Proficient in: o Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL) o OpenStack components (Nova, Neutron, Keystone, Glance, Cinder, Swift) o Web servers (Apache, Nginx), PHP-FPM o Databases (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL) o CMS platforms (WordPress, Magento, Drupal) · Strong understanding of: o Networking (DNS, VLANs, load balancing, SSL/TLS) o DevOps tools (Docker, Ansible, Terraform, Git, Jenkins) o Security controls and system hardening · Experience designing and managing hybrid or multi-cloud architectures.