Senior z/Linux Engineer (RHEL / IBM Z)
DURATION: Initial 6 months (likely extension)
LOCATION: Leeds (preferred). Also open to Edinburgh, Manchester, Halifax
ONSITE REQUIREMENTS: Hybrid - 2 days onsite per week (local office)
ENGAGEMENT TYPE: Outside IR35
DAY RATE: £550 per day
LEGAL RIGHT TO WORK: Candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, sponsorship is not available for this role.
ATRIUM GLOBAL SUMMARY
Atrium Global is supporting a client in the financial services sector in hiring a Senior z/Linux Engineer to join their Core Infrastructure Platform team within Mainframe Services.
JOB OVERVIEW
This role is focused on the support, stability and continuous improvement of enterprise Linux environments running on IBM Z. You will work across a highly regulated, mission-critical platform, primarily supporting RHEL-based z/Linux systems under z/VM.
This is a Linux-first role, requiring strong hands-on system administration experience within enterprise production environments. Exposure to IBM Z is highly beneficial, but strong Linux engineers with the right background will also be considered.
RESPONSIBILITIES
* Provide hands-on support and engineering across enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments
* Support BAU operations across development, test and production (incident, problem and change)
* Provision, configure and maintain z/Linux virtual machines under z/VM
* Deliver OS patching, upgrades and vulnerability remediation across Linux platforms
* Support platform lifecycle management, ensuring stability, performance and compliance
* Work closely with adjacent infrastructure teams (mainframe, storage, network, security)
* Contribute to platform improvements, upgrades and optimisation initiatives
* Produce and maintain technical documentation, runbooks and operational procedures
* Participate in on-call / standby rota (approx. 1 week in 4–5)
REQUIREMENTS
* Strong Linux system administration experience (RHEL preferred)
* Proven experience supporting enterprise production environments (BAU, incidents, patching, upgrades)
* Experience working in regulated or large-scale environments (e.g. banking, government, utilities)
* Hands-on experience with OS patching, upgrades and vulnerability remediation
* Familiarity with ITIL-aligned processes (incident, problem, change management)
* Ability to work independently within an established infrastructure/platform team
Desirable:
* Experience with z/Linux (s390x) or Linux on IBM Z
* Exposure to z/VM and virtualisation concepts
* Experience with automation tools (Ansible, Bash, Python)
* Exposure to OpenShift or container platforms