Linux Engineering Manager
Job Description
[Up to c. £275k Comp Package | Hybrid Working]
Role Overview
We’re representing a globally recognised quantitative research firm that combines cutting-edge science with large-scale computing to solve complex financial problems. Following the recent spin-out of its HPC unit into a new “as-a-service” entity, the firm is now expanding its core Linux capability - rebuilding and scaling the internal Linux Engineering function within its trading and research environment. As Linux Engineering Manager, you’ll lead the growth of this team almost from the ground up - currently just a couple of engineers in London, with plans to expand to around 10 altogether. This is a hands-on leadership role: while not expected to code full-time, you’ll need to maintain technical credibility and guide the team through complex engineering decisions. In the first six months, your focus will be on building a cohesive, high-performing team, establishing smooth operations, and aligning delivery with the firm’s strategic goals. Once in place, you’ll define and execute the long-term Linux roadmap - driving automation, reliability, and scalability across a global compute estate...
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Linux engineers, setting clear technical objectives and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and delivery excellence
- Shape and execute the Linux roadmap, ensuring the platform meets performance, reliability, and security targets across the research and trading infrastructure
- Take ownership of all aspects of Linux OS management firmwide - from build lifecycle and provisioning to compliance, automation, and optimisation
- Oversee configuration, packaging, and deployment of RHEL and Ubuntu systems used across compute, storage, and development environments
- Drive automation and Infrastructure-as-Code practices using Ansible, Python scripting, and related tooling to reduce operational overhead and ensure consistency
- Lead the redesign of the Linux build lifecycle, implementing end-to-end provisioning improvements to deliver a reproducible, efficient, and automated platform
- Guide kernel-level tuning and low-level Linux optimisation to maximise performance under demanding computational workloads
- Collaborate with engineering and research teams as the firm continues to evaluate the role of containers and Kubernetes within the core environment
- Embed observability and telemetry best practices to monitor system health, reliability, and compliance posture
- Oversee baseline hardening, patch pipelines, and vulnerability remediation, embedding automated controls to reduce risk exposure
- Maintain strong alignment between Linux engineering and the wider technology ecosystem, acting as the key representative for the function across infrastructure and research groups
- Provide clear reporting and visibility to leadership on team progress, risks, and platform performance
What You’ll Bring...
- 6+ years’ experience working in Linux systems engineering, including at least two years in a leadership or team management capacity
- Proven experience building and scaling technical teams while maintaining hands-on technical credibility
- Strong understanding of Linux internals, including kernel configuration, performance tuning, and system management
- Expertise in automation and Infrastructure-as-Code, particularly with Ansible and Python scripting
- Practical experience with provisioning and lifecycle management technologies such as PXE, Kickstart, and cloud-init
- Exposure to hybrid infrastructure environments and container orchestration (e.g. Kubernetes)
- Familiarity with observability tools and practices for performance and compliance monitoring
- Awareness of Linux security best practices, including patch automation, hardening, and vulnerability management
- Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to align technical strategy with business outcomes
- (Preferred) Background in HPC or quantitative research environments where low-latency and high-throughput computing are key
- (Preferred) Experience with eBPF or other kernel-level tracing tools for diagnostics and performance tuning
...
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