Infrastructure Engineer (Linux & Automation)

About Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Oxford Nanopore Technologies is headquartered at the Oxford Science Park UK with a global presence across the US APAC and Europe.

We bring together expertise from science engineering and software to build technology that enables real-time analysis of DNA and RNA at any scale.

The Role

You will take ownership of core infrastructure ensuring systems are reliable well-maintained and continuously improving. The role blends system administration troubleshooting and automation with plenty of scope to simplify and streamline how things are done.

Youll work closely with other engineers development teams manufacturing and compliance and development teams focusing on keeping environments stable and usable rather than introducing unnecessary complexity.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and support Ubuntu-based Linux systems across on-prem and limited cloud environments

• Own system health: patching upgrades monitoring and issue resolution

• Troubleshoot incidents and see problems through to root cause

• Build and maintain Ansible automation for configuration and routine tasks

• Automate repetitive work where it adds value

• Support VMware (vSphere) environments and virtual machines

• Work with physical infrastructure (servers basic hardware issues cabling)

• Support Docker / Docker Compose environments

• Maintain storage and file systems (NFS autofs)

• Monitor systems and respond to alerts (OpenMetrics SNMP-based tooling)

• Manage SSL certificates and apply security best practices

• Work within ITIL processes (incident change problem management)

• Create and maintain clear useful documentation

What Were Looking For

Essential Skills

• Strong Linux administration (Ubuntu preferred)

• Bash scripting and practical automation experience

• Ansible (including testing approaches such as Molecule)

• VMware / vSphere experience

• Solid networking fundamentals (TCP/IP DNS)

• Experience with storage systems (NFS autofs)

• Familiarity with Docker / Docker Compose

• Monitoring and alerting ( OpenMetrics)

• Experience with Git (GitHub or GitLab) and CI/CD pipelines

• Strong troubleshooting and fault-finding skills

• Experience with Active Directory LDAP or Samba

• Clear communication and documentation skills

Nice to Have

• Python for automation

• Terraform (basic exposure)

• Experience in controlled and compliant environments such as manufacturing and labs

• Experience working in dynamic environments such as research and development

Practical Requirements

• Own transport for occasional trips to ONT sites (Harwell Abingdon Oxford)

• Flexibility to come to site as required for hands-on work and meetings

What Success Looks Like

• Systems are stable patched and well understood

• Repetitive tasks are reduced through pragmatic automation

• Issues are resolved properly not repeatedly

• Improvements are steady practical and low-risk

• Documentation is clear and genuinely useful

Summary

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working close to the systems taking ownership and making things better over time. You should be comfortable balancing automation with hands-on operational work and motivated by keeping environments reliable and efficient.