What makes Cognizant a unique place to work? The combination of rapid growth and an nique place international and innovative environment! This is creating many opportunities for people like YOU — people with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to make a difference in this world.
At Cognizant, together with your colleagues from all around the world, you will collaborate on creating solutions for the world's leading companies and help them become more flexible, more innovative, and successful. Moreover, this is your chance to be part of the success story.
Position Summary
As a Senior Linux Systems Administrator, you will make an impact by leading the design and execution of automated, zero-touch patch management workflows that keep our large-scale virtual infrastructure secure, compliant, and running at peak performance. You will be a valued member of the Infrastructure & Cloud Operations team and work collaboratively with your manager, peer systems engineers, and security and compliance stakeholders
Mandatory Skills
· Extensive hands-on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and/or CentOS administration experience at enterprise scale; RHCSA or RHCE certification preferred
· Proven expertise architecting and implementing Ansible playbooks, roles, and workflows using Ansible Tower, AWX, or Ansible Automation Platform (AAP)
· Strong working knowledge of VMware vSphere/ESXi 7.x or 8.x, including VM provisioning, datastore management, and host patching via vCenter
· Advanced proficiency in Bash or Python scripting for task automation, along with deep familiarity with patching tools such as Red Hat Satellite and YUM/DNF
· Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, SSH, NFS, and SAN/LVM storage concepts at an enterprise level
Roles And Responsibilities
· Lead the design, development, and maintenance of Ansible playbooks, roles, and Automation Platform (AAP) workflows to automate OS patching, kernel upgrades, service restarts, and pre/post-patch validation across Red Hat Enterprise Linux and VMware ESXi environments
· Architect and implement zero-touch patching frameworks and infrastructure automation strategies that reduce manual intervention and improve operational efficiency at scale
· Lead the management and troubleshooting of VMware ESXi hosts and virtual machines via vCenter/ESXi API, including snapshot management, guest tool updates, and host patching
· Own and drive compliance and reporting by ensuring all servers meet security standards, generating automated compliance reports, and maintaining thorough patch documentation
· Define and enforce infrastructure as code standards using Git for version-controlled Ansible playbooks, ensuring idempotent configuration across the environment
· Act as the escalation point for L2/L3 incident support for Linux and VMware issues, leading root cause analysis to prevent recurrence and overseeing daily administration tasks including user management, LVM, SAN/NFS storage, and security hardening
Salary Range: >$100,000
Date of Posting: 29-Jun-26
Next Steps: If you feel this opportunity suits you, or Cognizant is the type of organization you would like to join, we want to have a conversation with you! Please apply directly with us.
For a complete list of open opportunities with Cognizant, visit http://www.cognizant.com/careers. Cognizant is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities. Successful candidates will be required to undergo a background check.
About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
Additional employment information
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
