Datacenter Engineer

smartTrade Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - GBP 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology company focusing on financial markets is seeking a hands-on Linux Systems & Datacenter Administrator. In this role, you will manage the Slough datacenter, improve Linux systems, and ensure operational excellence through automation and documentation. Ideal candidates will have strong Linux administration skills, experience with container management, and a background in networking. The role requires flexibility for on-call work and collaboration across time zones.

Qualifications

• 2-3+ years operating Linux in production environments.
• Exposure to LXD or Docker in production.
• Networking fundamentals for daily operations.
• Clear documentation and runbook writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Operate and improve Linux fleets in production.
• Provide level-3 incident response for infrastructure issues.
• Own datacenter operations including rack/stack.
• Automate with Chef and Terraform for reliable ops.

Skills

Linux administration (Ubuntu)

Container management (LXD/LXC)

Networking fundamentals

Automation with Bash/Python

Tools

Git/GitLab

Chef

Terraform

MySQL

Apache HTTPD

Job description

smartTrade Technologies builds mission‑critical trading and connectivity platforms for global financial markets. Our low‑latency infrastructure supports real‑time services across EMEA, North America, and APAC.

We operate our own private cloud infrastructure in Equinix Datacenter with hybridization on IBM Cloud and AWS.

Role Overview

We are seeking a hands‑on Linux Systems & Datacenter Administrator to join our Europe Operations team. You’ll be the on‑the‑ground owner for our Slough (Equinix) environment and a key contributor to our global private cloud.

The role blends Linux systems administration (Ubuntu), containerized compute (LXD/LXC, some Docker), networking, and datacenter operations.

You will partner with engineering, network, and security teams to ensure reliability, performance, and change control in a 24×7, market‑facing environment.

This is a production‑oriented role: you’ll prepare, review and execute changes, troubleshoot live issues, execute maintenance windows, and continuously improve our platform through automation and rigorous documentation.

Our Environment

• Servers: Dell, HPE, Supermicro.
• Storage: LVM, software and hardware RAID (mdadm, MegaRAID, LSI, …).
• Containers: LXD/LXC (primary), some Docker.
• Networking (day‑2 ops): VLANs, LACP, ACLs, routing basics; vendors include Dell, Supermicro, Arista, Juniper, VyOS.
• Applications & Data: MySQL, Elasticsearch, Kafka, Java, Apache HTTPD, …
• Automation & IaC: Git/GitLab, Chef, Terraform; scripting with Bash/Python.
• Monitoring/Observability: Centreon, Observium (plus logs pipelines).

What You’ll Do

• Operate and improve Linux fleets (Ubuntu) in production.
• Manage LXD/LXC container platforms (no hypervisors/VM stacks)
• Provide level‑3 incident response for infrastructure issues (systems, containers, network paths, storage), restoring service within SLAs and driving post‑mortems.
• Own datacenter operations in Slough: rack/stack, cabling, optics, power planning, servers installation, console/OOB, manage inventory, RMA logistics, and vendor coordination (Equinix Smart Hands, carriers, OEMs).
• Perform day‑2 network operations on switches and firewalls (ACLs, VLANs, LAGs, routing basics), and collaborate closely with network engineering for changes.
• Automate with Chef for configuration management and Terraform for IaC on AWS where applicable. Build reliable tooling for repeatable ops (config generation, pre‑change checks, deployments, and validation).
• Contribute to change management (runbooks, maintenance windows, rollback plans) and keep documentation current (network diagrams, inventories, SOPs).
• Participate in a Follow-the-Sun operations model, coordinating with your EMEA/APAC peers.

What You’ll Bring

• 2-3+ years operating Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, RedHat) in production environments.
• This position requires occasional on-call availability outside of standard business hours to respond to urgent or critical operational issues. Flexibility to be contacted outside regular working hours is required.
• Previous datacenter work exposure: rack/stack, structured cabling (fiber/copper), PDUs, console/OOB, vendor/Smart Hands coordination, and accurate inventory. If no prior experience, willingness to learn and work in such environments.
• Containers: exposure to LXC or Docker in a production environment and their inner workings.
• Server hardware & storage: LVM, software RAID, MegaRAID tooling, firmware/BIOS/BMC (iDRAC/iLO/IPMI), and hands‑on diagnostics and replacements.
• Networking fundamentals for day‑to‑day ops: VLANs, LACP, trunking, ACLs, static routes, BGP, DNS/DHCP, link/MTU issues; ability to execute well‑scoped changes on Dell/Arista/Juniper/VyOS under peer review.
• Automation & SCM: Bash/Python, Git/GitLab; experience with Chef or Ansible or Puppet in production.
• Clear runbook‑style writing, disciplined change control, and calm, structured troubleshooting under time pressure.

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with Equinix processes (cross‑connects, tickets, remote hands) and carrier coordination.
• Ops exposure to MySQL, Elasticsearch, Kafka, Java services, Apache; ability to collaborate with app teams on infra‑adjacent issues.
• Experience with Centreon and Dynatrace (or equivalent monitoring/observability stacks).
• Config management/IaC depth (Ansible, Puppet, Terraform modules, Secret management), and CI pipelines in GitLab.
• Deeper networking (EVPN/VXLAN, BGP, multicast) and/or traffic engineering.

Work Hours & Travel

• Standard business hours aligned to Central European Time with flexibility for maintenance windows.
• Rotational Weekend work (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) for planned changes and datacenter work; comp day granted during the week.
• Travel: Twice a week in Slough Equinix datacenters, once a month in London city center, and exceptional travels outside UK