At a Glance
- Tasks: Resolve complex platform and hardware incidents while managing firmware lifecycle and server configurations.
- Company: Join a high-performing enterprise infrastructure team in Glasgow with a hybrid work model.
- Benefits: Competitive day rate, flexible working arrangements, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on critical platforms and enhance your skills in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Strong Linux expertise and experience in server hardware and firmware management.
We are seeking a Senior Platform Reliability Engineer with deep Linux systems expertise and strong exposure to server hardware, firmware, and low-level infrastructure operations. This role sits within a high-performing enterprise infrastructure team responsible for maintaining and improving the reliability of critical platforms at scale. The position is heavily focused on resolving complex platform and hardware-related incidents, particularly those escalated from L3 support, with an emphasis on firmware lifecycle management, disk encryption, logging, and server configuration (BIOS-level controls) across multi-vendor environments. This is a hands-off hardware role, requiring strong remote troubleshooting capabilities, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work closely with internal teams and external vendors to drive issues through to resolution.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and manage end-to-end incident resolution for platform and hardware-related issues, including triage, mitigation, escalation, and post-incident review.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot Linux OS-level issues arising from hardware faults, firmware changes, or configuration inconsistencies.
- Manage and support firmware lifecycle processes, including upgrades, validation, and issue remediation.
- Work with disk encryption technologies and logging frameworks, ensuring system integrity and auditability.
- Maintain and troubleshoot server configuration settings, including BIOS-level parameters across multiple hardware vendors (strong Dell focus).
- Utilize out-of-band management tools (e.g., iDRAC, iLO, RACADM, Redfish APIs) for remote diagnostics and recovery.
- Analyse vendor logs, support bundles, and telemetry data to identify root causes and remediation paths.
- Engage directly with hardware vendors and engineering teams, managing escalations and driving timely resolutions.
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, reducing incident recurrence and operational toil.
- Produce and maintain high-quality documentation, including runbooks, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge base articles.
- Participate in post-incident reviews (RCA) and support improvements in reliability metrics (MTTR, MTTD, SLOs).
Essential Skills & Experience
- Strong Linux administration and troubleshooting expertise, including process and service management, system logs and diagnostics, networking fundamentals, and package and configuration management.
- Solid understanding of server hardware and infrastructure, including disks, RAID/HBA controllers, NICs and firmware interactions, and hardware failure modes and OS-level symptoms.
- Proven experience with firmware management and upgrades, disk encryption and secure configurations, and BIOS/server configuration management.
- Hands-on experience with remote management and lights-out technologies, such as iDRAC, iLO, RACADM, Redfish or similar APIs.
- Strong track record of incident ownership, including triage and mitigation, cross-team coordination, stakeholder communication, and driving issues through to resolution.
- Experience working with vendor diagnostics, logs, and support bundles, as well as vendor escalation processes and engineering engagement.
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to clearly articulate technical issues to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong documentation skills, including creation of runbooks, procedures, and RCA reports.
Desirable Skills
- Scripting and automation experience (e.g., Python, Bash, Ansible).
- Familiarity with configuration management and automation frameworks.
- Exposure to virtualisation and containerisation technologies (VMware, KVM, Docker, Kubernetes).
- Experience with monitoring, observability, and alerting systems, including log analysis and alert tuning.
- Understanding of SRE principles and metrics, including SLOs, SLIs, error budgets, MTTR/MTTD.
Key Attributes
- Methodical and detail-oriented approach to troubleshooting.
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability.
- Comfortable working in high-pressure, incident-driven environments.
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across global teams and vendors.
- Proactive approach to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
SRE (Linux, Firmware & Server Infrastructure) employer: Networking People (UK) Limited
Join a dynamic and innovative team in Glasgow as a Senior Platform Reliability Engineer, where you will have the opportunity to work on critical infrastructure projects in a hybrid work environment. Our company fosters a collaborative culture that values continuous improvement and professional growth, offering competitive day rates and the chance to engage with cutting-edge technologies. With a strong focus on employee development and a commitment to operational excellence, we provide a rewarding workplace for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry.
Contact Details:
Networking People (UK) Limited Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land SRE (Linux, Firmware & Server Infrastructure)
✨Tip Number 1
Get your networking game on! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those already working as SREs. LinkedIn is a goldmine for this – connect, engage, and don’t be shy about asking for advice or insights.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got experience with Linux, firmware, or server infrastructure, make sure to highlight that in conversations. Share specific examples of how you've tackled complex issues – it’ll make you stand out.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Before any interviews, run through common SRE scenarios or troubleshooting exercises. This will help you articulate your thought process clearly and demonstrate your problem-solving skills.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace SRE (Linux, Firmware & Server Infrastructure)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV highlights your Linux expertise and experience with server hardware. We want to see how your skills match the job description, so don’t be shy about showcasing relevant projects or roles you've had.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re the perfect fit for the Senior Platform Reliability Engineer role. Share specific examples of how you've tackled complex incidents or improved platform reliability in the past.
Show Off Your Communication Skills:Since this role involves working with both technical and non-technical teams, make sure your application reflects your ability to communicate clearly. We love candidates who can articulate technical issues in an understandable way!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Networking People (UK) Limited
✨Know Your Linux Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your Linux administration skills. Be prepared to discuss troubleshooting techniques, system logs, and diagnostics. They’ll likely ask you about specific scenarios where you've resolved OS-level issues, so have some examples ready!
✨Familiarise Yourself with Hardware and Firmware
Since this role involves a lot of hardware interaction, it’s crucial to understand server components like disks, RAID controllers, and BIOS settings. Review your experience with firmware management and be ready to explain how you’ve handled upgrades or issues in the past.
✨Communicate Clearly and Effectively
You’ll need to articulate technical issues to both tech-savvy and non-technical folks. Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Think about times when you’ve had to coordinate with teams or vendors to resolve incidents and be ready to share those stories.
✨Prepare for Incident Management Questions
Expect questions around incident ownership and resolution processes. Be ready to discuss how you triage issues, manage escalations, and conduct post-incident reviews. Highlight your proactive approach to reducing recurrence and improving reliability metrics.
