Linux Technical Lead

Job Description Job Title: Linux Technical Lead Server Administration, Web Hosting & Data Center Operations Location: Kochi, Kerala Experience: 10+ Years Type: Full-time / Permanent Overview We are seeking an experienced Linux Technical Lead to oversee and optimize our end-to-end infrastructure covering web hosting platforms, Linux server administration, virtualization environments, data center operations, and cloud technologies. This role requires deep technical expertise in Linux systems, hosting control panels, networking, virtualization (KVM/Proxmox/VMware), cloud services, and infrastructure automation. You will lead a team of system administrators and support engineers, drive infrastructure modernization, ensure high reliability of hosting and DC operations, and contribute to strategic long-term planning. Key Responsibilities 1. Technical Leadership & Strategy - Lead architecture design, implementation, and optimization of hosting and DC server infrastructure. - Define technical roadmaps, best practices, and modernization plans. - Evaluate new tools, hosting technologies, virtualization stacks, and cloud solutions. - Drive continuous improvement in performance, security, and scalability. 2. Linux Server & Hosting Administration - Manage end-to-end Linux server operations (CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL, AlmaLinux, Fedora). - Oversee provisioning, configuration, upgrades, system hardening, and automation. - Administer hosting control panels: cPanel/WHM, Plesk, DirectAdmin, custom panels. - Maintain and optimize core hosting services: - Apache/Nginx - MySQL/MariaDB - PHP/PHP-FPM - DNS, Email servers - FTP, SSL, Firewall - Manage virtualization environments (KVM, Proxmox, VMware) and containerization (LXC, Docker). 3. Data Center Operations - Oversee physical and virtual DC infrastructure health and uptime. - Coordinate with onsite technicians for hardware replacements, cabling, and diagnostics. - Perform hardware troubleshooting (RAID, disks, NICs, memory, power issues). - Work with remote management tools such as iLO, iDRAC, IPMI. - Maintain DC documentation, DR plans, and escalation procedures. 4. Networking & CDN Management - Configure and troubleshoot networking fundamentals: - TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, NAT, VLANs, VPNs - Routing, subnetting, load balancing - Firewalls (iptables, nftables, firewalld, ufw) - Manage CDN integrations and DNS-level configurations for performance optimization. - Perform deep-dive network diagnostics (tcpdump, netstat, ss, traceroute, nmap). 5. Cloud, Automation & DevOps - Lead cloud deployments and migrations (AWS, Azure, GCP, or private cloud). - Build & maintain automation via Ansible, Terraform, Bash/Python scripting. - Develop CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure updates and deployments. - Implement configuration management and version-controlled workflows (Git). 6. Security, Compliance & Monitoring - Implement and enforce advanced server security best practices. - Manage firewalls, intrusion detection, vulnerability scans, patch cycles. - Conduct audits, logs review, and incident response procedures. - Maintain compliance with standards like ISO, GDPR, PCI-DSS. - Use monitoring tools: Zabbix, Nagios, Prometheus, Grafana to track uptime, performance, and alerts. 7. Troubleshooting & Performance Optimization - Diagnose complex OS, network, application, and hosting issues. - Perform OS-level troubleshooting (systemd issues, boot problems, log analysis). - Manage resource optimizationsCPU, RAM, disk I/O, caching layers. - Lead disaster recovery, failover, and business continuity planning. 8. Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Coordination - Lead and mentor system administrators, help desk engineers, and support teams. - Provide training on Linux, hosting platforms, virtualization, and security. - Serve as the highest-level technical escalation point for critical issues. - Collaborate with development, support, and product teams to align infrastructure with business requirements. - Maintain clear reporting for senior management. Required Qualifications - 10+ years of experience in Linux server administration and hosting/DC infrastructure. - Expert-level knowledge of CentOS, Ubuntu, RHEL, Debian, AlmaLinux, and other distributions. - Strong expertise with hosting panels: cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin. - Hands-on experience with virtualization tools (Proxmox, VMware, KVM, LXC). - Strong networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing, DNS, firewalling). - Experience managing cloud platforms and automation tools (Ansible, Terraform). - Deep understanding of security principles and server hardening. - Proven leadership experience managing technical teams. - Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and communication skills. Preferred Qualifications - Certifications: RHCE, RHCSA, AWS Solutions Architect, LPIC, VMware VCP. - Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices. - Knowledge of caching servers (Redis, Memcached), DB optimization, CDN integrations. - Experience in SLA-driven or enterprise hosting environments.