Lead Linux System Administrator in London

We’re seeking someone to join our team as an experienced Linux System Administrator to help maintain, modernize, and improve the infrastructure supporting Morgan Stanley's distributed systems.

This role will work across a complex environment made up of open-source technologies, in-house components, and critical Linux infrastructure services.

The focus will be on delivering a stable, secure, and highly reliable platform while increasing automation, agility, and operational efficiency.

The team is responsible for the evaluation, certification, integration, and ongoing support of Linux-based infrastructure, including hardware platforms, Red Hat Linux, configuration management, system services such as DNS, DHCP, and NTP, and a variety of internally developed tools.

In the Technology division, we leverage innovation to build the connections and capabilities that power our Firm, enabling our clients and colleagues to redefine markets and shape the future of our communities.

This is a Lead Infrastructure Production Management & Reliability Engineering position at Director level (equivalent to AVP) which is part of the job family responsible for maintaining the stability and reliability of the organization's infrastructure systems, ensuring optimal performance and availability to support business operations.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, continuously evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

What you’ll do in the role

• Act as a self-starter and owner, able to prioritize requests, manage ambiguity, and collaborate effectively across global teams.
• Support, deploy, and troubleshoot large-scale production Linux environments with a focus on stability, performance, and reliability.
• Contribute as an Infrastructure SRE with hands-on coding and automation experience.
• Participate in a global follow-the-sun on-call rotation for production issues.
• Work closely with engineers, developers, operations specialists, and project teams to deliver infrastructure improvements.
• Write and maintain clear documentation for systems, processes, procedures, and operational support models.
• Follow strong change management, incident management, and problem management practices.
• Participate in global forums to review projects, operational improvements, technical standards, and delivery priorities.

What you’ll bring to the role

• 5-7 years of enterprise-level experience supporting large, distributed Linux environments.
• Strong knowledge of Linux systems, hardware platforms, automated builds, and lights-out management.
• Comfortable building systems from scratch, updating configurations, modification, and modifying code paths where needed.
• Understanding of kernel bypass and its relationship to latency-sensitive devices.
• Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, networking concepts, security fundamentals, implementation, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with monitoring tools, alerting, and operational support solutions.
• Proven analytical and troubleshooting skills in a fast-paced, highly visible enterprise environment.
• Coding or scripting experience, preferably with Python.
• Experience working with shared codebases using CI, source control, release management, and change control best practices.
• Solid understanding of Linux kernel internals and performance tuning.
• Experience with trading system application configuration, deployment, and management.
• Experience improving operational processes through automation, tooling, and documentation.
• #LI-LM1 #Hybrid

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients - helping them reach their goals.

We do it in a way that's differentiated - and we've done that for 90 years.

Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren't just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries.

At Morgan Stanley, you'll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered.

Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences.

We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry.

There's also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste into your browser.

Certified Persons Regulatory Requirements

If this role is deemed a Certified role and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Flexible work statement

Interested in flexible working opportunities?

Morgan Stanley empowers employees to have greater freedom of choice through flexible working arrangements.

Speak to our recruitment team to find out more.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background.

Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

For more information, please visit

At Morgan Stanley, we advise, originate, trade, manage and distribute capital for people, governments and institutions, always with a standard of excellence and guided by our core values.

Morgan Stanley is dedicated to providing first-class service to our clients, in a way that reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable future and fostering stronger communities around the world.

In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading-edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.

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