Unix Engineer - FS Industry Experience

Job Title: Unix Engineer
Location: Manchester - 2/3 days per week onsite
Salary/Rate: £500 per day inside IR35
Start Date: 27/04/2026
Job Type: Contract - 6 months

Company Introduction

We are looking for a senior Unix/Linux infrastructure specialist with a strong focus on platform security, compliance, and stability within highly regulated enterprise environments. The role supports critical Unix/Linux platforms, including Legacy and modern systems, and plays a key part in data centre optimisation, migration, and security hardening initiatives.

This position requires deep hands on Unix/Linux expertise combined with strong security awareness, operational discipline, and the ability to communicate effectively with global stakeholders.

Job Responsibilities/Objectives

• Provide L2/L3 support for Unix/Linux infrastructure platforms in production, including business critical and regulated systems
• Perform secure build, configuration, hardening, and ongoing maintenance of Unix/Linux Servers
• Support data centre optimisation, migration, and transformation programmes, including platform stabilisation and risk reduction activities
• Implement and maintain security controls, including access management, patching, vulnerability remediation, and configuration compliance
• Participate in incident, problem, and change management, ensuring adherence to ITIL and security governance standards
• Support audit, risk, and compliance activities, including evidence gathering and remediation of audit findings
• Work closely with security, platform, and architecture teams to ensure platforms meet enterprise security and operational standards
• Create and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to enhance platform reliability, security, and operational efficiency

Required Skills/Experience
The ideal candidate will have the following:

• Strong hands on experience administering Unix/Linux platforms in large enterprise environments
• Linux (RHEL, Oracle Linux, SUSE or equivalent)
• Unix variants (eg AIX, Solaris, HP UX or equivalent Legacy platforms)
• Solid experience with system hardening and security best practices on Unix/Linux
• OS patching and life cycle management
• User and privilege management (sudo, PAM, RBAC)
• File system, storage, and performance management
• Process monitoring, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis
• Experience working in regulated or security sensitive environments (eg banking, financial services, critical infrastructure)
• Familiarity with vulnerability management, security scanning, and remediation processes
• Experience supporting data centre migration or transformation programmes is highly desirable
• Working knowledge of ITIL processes (incident, problem, change)

Desirable Skills/Experience
Although not essential, the following skills are desired by the client:

• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or equivalent Linux certification
• Unix/Linux vendor certifications (AIX, Solaris, etc.)
• ITIL Foundation
• Security focused certifications (eg CompTIA Security+, CISSP - foundational exposure acceptable)

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply now with your updated CV in Microsoft Word/PDF format.

Disclaimer
Notwithstanding any guidelines given to level of experience sought, we will consider candidates from outside this range if they can demonstrate the necessary competencies.
Square One is acting as both an employment agency and an employment business, and is an equal opportunities recruitment business. Square One embraces diversity and will treat everyone equally. Please see our website for our full diversity statement.