Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hybrid
Not Available
Full time, 2 years fixed term position. Located at the Carslaw Building (F07) on the Camperdown Campus
Provide technical support relating to Linux-based computing for the Magma research group
Base Salary (HEO6/7) $107,312 - $127,610 p.a. + 17% superannuation
About the opportunity
The University of Sydney is welcoming applications for a Linux Computing Specialist to join the Technical Support Services (TSS) team and provide technical support relating to Linux-based computing for the Magma research group.
The Linux Computing Specialist provides specialist technical support for Linux-based research computing within the Magma research group. The role will maintain critical production services while driving the modernisation of infrastructure, software and services, ensuring they are secure, reliable, resilient and aligned with University standards.
Working with the Senior Linux Systems Administrator, the Magma research group and University ICT, the Linux Computing Specialist will lead and support the modernisation of research computing across on-premises and cloud environments. This includes assessing existing systems, migrating legacy infrastructure, strengthening cybersecurity, backup and disaster recovery, and improving monitoring, access control, configuration management and system resilience.
The role will also support research staff and students and develop modern, automated computing workflows using containers, virtual machines, JupyterHub-style services, infrastructure-as-code and Git-based practices.
The Linux Computing Specialist will maintain clear technical documentation, manage operational risks, ensure compliance with University policies and work health and safety requirements, and contribute to projects that enhance the group's research computing capabilities.
The role is primarily based on the Camperdown Campus and supports flexible working arrangements, including work from home one day per week, subject to operational requirements.
Your key responsibilities will be to:
audit existing systems, document dependencies, identify operational risks, and produce clear runbooks for administration
migrate services from obsolete infrastructure and unsupported operating systems, adopting University-managed services where appropriate in consultation with the Magma group and University ICT
establish reliable disaster-recovery, monitoring, security, and configuration management
improve resilience and stability of web services (eg Magma calculator), CI/build/test systems, and compute resources
develop modern workflows and automation through managed development environments, containers or VMs, JupyterHub-style notebook services, infrastructure-as-code, Git-based workflows, and environments for AI-assisted development
support all new and existing research group Linux computing infrastructure and functions (on premises or cloud) within Magma research group scope during transition
provide technical support to Magma research staff, students, and other technical staff.
About you
bachelor's degree - computing or professional qualifications - programming and computing
relevant industry/technical certifications – Red Hat Certified System Administrator, Linux, or equivalent relevant professional experience
advanced knowledge of production Linux systems administration, including provisioning, patching, hardening, upgrading, migration, and decommissioning across Red Hat- or Debian-based environments
strong knowledge of core Linux infrastructure services, such as identity, DNS, mail, web services, storage, networking, backup, monitoring and security, together with configuration management using Git and Ansible or equivalent
strong scripting and automation skills in Python and shell, with practical knowledge of virtual machines, containers and the legacy web (Perl, PHP, C/C++, SQL, JavaScript desirable) and systems technologies needed to maintain and modernise existing services
substantial professional experience, normally at least five years, administering production Linux servers and services
demonstrated experience automating infrastructure and migrating end-of-life systems to supported platforms while maintaining service continuity and managing operational risk
experience supporting research-computing or software-development environments, such as compute clusters, CI/build/test systems, web applications, containers or notebook services and databases (eg mysql)
experience working with researchers and coordinating with central ICT, cybersecurity, networking, or other shared-service teams is desirable.
The successful candidate for this role will be offered either an HEO6 or HEO7 Linux Computing Specialist position based on their level of demonstrated experience in relation to the key requirements listed above and in the position description.
Sponsorship / work rights for Australia
You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.
Pre-employment checks and declarations
Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.
EEO statement
At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.
We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.
How to apply
Applications should include a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation. In your cover letter, please briefly address the key requirements in the "About You" section, using specific examples of relevant systems, projects, or migrations you have worked on. Applications can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.
For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Kevin Lim, Recruitment Operations by email to kevin.lim@sydney.edu.au.
© The University of Sydney
The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.
Click to view the Position Description for this role.
Applications Close
Monday 07 September 2026 11:59 PMWant to know if this job is worth applying to?
