SENIOR AIX/LINUX SYSTEMS ENGINEERALTA IT Services has a 12 month+ contract opening for a Senior AIX / LINUX Engineer to support a leading, Washington DC- based health insurance customer. Work remains remote for day to day work ongoing - however the environment is moving to a new data center, and occasional onsite support in Ashburn, VA will be required during the data center migration. Candidates must be local to the DMV metro area. (Contract to hire is preferred) Position Responsibilities Candidates should be equally strong in Linux and AIX Administration - with VMware experience. Responsible for the installation and maintenance of the operating system and application server configurations on the AIX and Linux servers, including virtualization management. Assists Database Administrators with AIX/Linux operating system configurations related to database subsystems.Utilizes strong troubleshooting capabilities to diagnose and resolve problemsMonitors and manages storage, network, and security in the assigned environment in conjunction with vendor recommendations and customer requirements.Ensures proper procedures are followed to introduce changes and fixes into the operating environment to ensure the lowest possible error rate.Proactively monitors software maintenance levels compared to the vendor published software stack to ensure optimization and corrective fixes are applied.Operational support in the planning, design, replication, and synchronization of secure, high-availability systems and applications.Develops, updates, and maintains operations manuals, inventories, and written procedures relative to installing, maintaining, and using Operating Systems and subsystems software.Strong communication skills.Ability to work independently and under pressure.Ability to provide structure in a rapidly changing environment.High motivation, flexible and a positive attitude Abilities/Skills: 10+ years of IT experience working to support and enhance infrastructure and DR capabilities within an organization.Systems engineering and technical expertise in the planning, design, and implementation of high availability AIX open systems.Perform senior-level Linux/VMware System administration including troubleshooting, fault isolation, system tuning, software installation, and maintenanceRed Hat Enterprise Linux 6.x/5.x installation on physical Blade and VMware ESXi 5, 4.1.2 Virtual Environment.Responsible for the installation and maintenance of the operating system and application server configurations on the UNIX servers in the environments, including management of virtualization in the environment.Assists Database Administrators with operating system configurations related to database subsystems.Utilizes strong troubleshooting capabilities to diagnose and resolve problems or escalate to next level support as necessary.Monitors and manages storage, network, and security in the assigned environment in conjunction with vendor recommendations.Ensures proper procedures are followed to introduce changes and fixes into the operating environment to ensure the lowest possible error rate.Proactively monitors software maintenance levels compared to the vendor published software stack to ensure optimization and corrective fixes are applied.Operational support in the planning, design, replication, and synchronization of secure, high-availability systems and applications.Develops, updates, and maintains operations manuals, inventories, and written procedures relative to installing, maintaining, and using Operating Systems and subsystems software.Demonstrated ability to manage infrastructure-related projects including installation of hardware and software solutions (for mainframe, distributed servers, storage, middleware, and networking)Knowledge of and experience in managing DR environment/configuration projects and/or other data center operations projects.Ability to effectively adapt to rapidly changing technology and to apply it to business needs.Strong analytical, problem-solving, and conceptual skills.Work cooperatively on an integrated team ofcorporate staff to successfully address any associated risks and issues.UNIX Shell ScriptsAbility to Conduct Technology and Capacity assessmentsManage and remediate security vulnerabilities Preferred: Prior experience as Sr. Systems Engineer for multiple infrastructure projects that include both internal, external, and vendor resources.Good understanding of data warehouses running in AIX/ DB2 environments with Cognos as the BI reporting tool.Understand Cloud based solutions and best practicesWorking knowledge of network components (switches, routers, port configurations).Experience in ensuring that appropriate project communication occurs on an on-going basis with internal and external stakeholders.Understanding of or experience with Service Level Measurements with contractual obligations and their application to infrastructure projectsUnderstanding of Tivoli System Automation for Multiplatform - Nice to haveGPFS installation and administration on AIX/ Linux systems - Nice to have Hourly Rate: $75/hr. range. Benefits available for W2. C2C is OK For consideration, please contact Melissa McNally via mmcnally@altaits.com