IT Systems Administrator

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University of Edinburgh is hiring an IT Systems Administrator to join the core infrastructure team in ISG / IT Infrastructure. This full time, on site, permanent UE06 role (£34,610–£39,906) offers 35 hours per week with flexible, hybrid working. You will help manage mission critical platforms in a DevOps environment using VMware, Linux, Azure, AWS, Puppet and Git, while providing day to day third line support and working with the Data Centre Manager to maintain high service availability. Strong written and verbal communication, the ability to work independently and in a team of eight, and solid Linux/virtualization knowledge are essential; Windows Server and scripting (Python or shell) are desirable. Apply with CV and cover letter to Graeme Wood by 13 August 2026; interviews early September. Note the university cannot sponsor visas; right to work in the UK is required. Benefits include 40 days leave, pension and flexible options.

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Grade UE06: £34,610 - £39,906 per annum

ISG / IT Infrastructure

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Open-ended (permanent) contract 

 

Help us redefine what’s possible. Be part of something bigger.

The University isn’t just any employer. We are part of a local community and a contributor to global thinking, progress and research. In Edinburgh, you are in one of the world’s most attractive cities with active arts and social sectors, while working in a University that has made significant contributions to society, medicine, physics and teaching for over four centuries. Our people have helped create the modern world and are working on more ground-breaking technologies and practices.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join the core infrastructure team working as a Systems Administrator/IT Systems Engineer. 

Within this role you will use enterprise technologies in a challenging and changing technical environment, and work in a team responsible for the provision of mission critical IT platforms on which most core University services rely. If buzzwords like VMware, Linux, DMARC, LDAP, Azure, AWS, Puppet and Git chime with you, we want to hear from you. On the other hand, if some of these are a mystery right now, we can support you through workplace training and development.

What the job involves:

• Collaborating in a DevOps team maintaining services such as email infrastructure, directory services and authentication services.
• Providing day to day assistance with the triaging and resolution of support calls and service requests as part of a third-line support team.
• Working in close partnership with the Data Centre Manager to ensure the University’s data centres maintain a high-level of service availability.
• Contributing to projects that will develop and improve the IT services of the University.

 

This is an open-ended position and we would ideally like someone to work 35 hours per week (Monday-Friday), with occasional out of hours working. However, we are committed to offering flexibility where possible and are happy to consider working patterns such as compressed hours or staggered start/finish times.  You will be able to hybrid work flexibly between home, our data centres and from our office with views across the city.

View the full job description and snapshot of a typical day.

What we are looking for from you:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• An ability to work independently and as part of a team of 8
• Sound understanding of Virtualisation and Linux systems and ideally a good working knowledge of Windows Server
• Previous experience of working with large scale physical and virtualised infrastructure and application networking technologies like firewalls and load balancers would be desirable, as would knowledge of shell scripting, Python and Puppet DSL
• The ability to pay attention to detail and work in a methodical and organised manner is essential

 

How to apply

We welcome informal enquiries about the role – to find out more please email Graeme Wood (Head of Enterprise Services) at [email protected]

Please include the following documents in your application (please do not email applications in): 

• CV  
• Cover letter

 

People have always been at the heart of our work. Our people are at the centre of the University community and everything we do. We value colleagues with drive, determination and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you in building the right meaningful flexibility that works for you.

We offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you in building the right work/life balance for you:

• An interesting and varied portfolio of services and IT infrastructures to work on, develop and support, including working in modern data centres
• Generous annual leave allowance of 40 days per year (inclusive of festive closure days) 
• Highly competitive defined-benefit pension scheme with a substantial employer contribution 
• A range of flexible working options to help prioritise work/life balance 
• A day of paid leave annually for your chosen volunteering activity
• Access to excellent online learning and a Staff Scholarship fund
• Varied staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, support for staff wellbeing and more 
• Use our reward calculator to find out the total value of the pay and benefits for this role. 

 

As a valued member of our team, you can expect: 

• A competitive salary. 

• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 

• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.

• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits. 

   

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

 

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. 

 

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from women and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, as we acknowledge they are currently underrepresented in our area.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages.

 

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.   

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 13th August 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. 

Interviews will be held early September. 

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.