Senior Systems Administrator (Sysadmin/Linux)

Job Description

The Natural History Museum (NHM) is a world-class visitor attraction, leading science research centre and commercial event space. We use our unique collections and unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million specimens, both in our London and Tring museums, spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually.

We are at a pivotal moment in our history as we launch a new strategy setting out our role as the natural world faces increasing threats. Building on our world-leading collection, global reputation for science and as one of the world’s leading visitor attractions, the NHM has ambitious plans leading up to the 150 anniversary of the opening of the Waterhouse Building in 2031, making this a truly exciting time to be part of the NHM team.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to take a role with a high degree of autonomy, where initiative, knowledge and experience will be valued and you can have a direct impact on the Museum’s compute strategy. You will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of technologies to deliver the Natural History Museum’s mission to advance the science of nature.

We are looking for an motivated Sysadmin to play a key role in the realisation of an ambitious digital strategy. The position requires the administration of a wide variety of technologies including enterprise Linux operating systems, IaaS tools (Ansible, Puppet, terraform, Git, containerisation technologies, etc), parallel file systems (Spectrum Scale and the like) and HPC technologies.

You will be part of an Infrastructure team working together proactively maintaining and improving these systems and their processes. The role includes configuration, system/application administration, maintenance and patching, installations, enhancements and upgrades, testing, troubleshooting, performance tuning and documentation.

There is a significant focus on administering the Museum’s growing HPC infrastructure and you will be part of a community effort which manages job schedulers/resource manager. The role comes with a strong focus on Linux administration and you will lead on innovating methods of installing, configuring, and maintaining enterprise Linux operating systems such as CentOS and Ubuntu.

About you

Are you a keen experienced Sysadmin or Linux System Administrator looking for a new challenge?

A can-do problem-solving attitude and desire to learn is essential as well as a positive approach to customer service. The successful candidate will find themselves working in a supportive environment with exposure to a range of technologies and IaaS tools.

Training and mentoring will be provided, and personal development strongly encouraged.

Closing date: 09:00 on Monday 24 February 2020
Interviews expected: 5 or 6 March

What we offer

• 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays
• Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution up to 10%)
• Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across the country, such as the British Museum, V&A, National Gallery, Royal Academy and Tate
• Affordable membership to the Civil Service Sports Council which offers a range of benefits including a free digital Tastecard, discounted cinema tickets and corporate membership of English Heritage sites (including Dover Castle and Stonehenge). For more details, visit https://www.cssc.co.uk
• Membership to our Sports and Social Association (for a small fee), which includes access to our in-house gym and clubs such as football, softball, table tennis and tennis and classes in Middle Eastern dance, yoga and Tai Chi
• Staff discounts at a range of local businesses and services
• Up to 50% staff discount at our shops and cafes
• Season ticket, bicycle and rental loans
• Eye care vouchers
• Professional development opportunities - We are committed to the professional development of our staff and offer a range of courses to ensure they reach their potential. We also sponsor professional qualifications and job-related professional membership fees.