How to hire a senior unix systems engineer

How to hire a senior unix systems engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior unix systems engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior unix systems engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior unix systems engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior unix systems engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior unix systems engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect senior unix systems engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior unix systems engineers.

   Type of Senior Unix Systems Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Unix Systems Engineer	Computer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks.	$33-64
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Systems Operator	Systems operators often act as the front liners whose primary job is to ensure the reliable delivery of electricity service to consumers and businesses. They are responsible for overseeing and managing the power grid and controlling electricity flow through transmission lines... Show more	$13-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Unix
   • Linux
   • Infrastructure
   • Server Builds
   • Red Hat
   • OS
   • VMware
   • Solaris
   • LDAP
   • Redhat Linux
   • Disk
   • RHEL
   • Storage Arrays
   • Java

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop scripts to upgrade java ear files and to automate maintenance tasks.
   • Manage development, manufacturing, test and delivery of custom broadband RF electronic test systems for military and aerospace customers.
   • Upgrade the internal and external DNS servers.
   • Recover OS and help bring applications back online quickly.
   • Install and configure MYSQL and PERL support code for DCYF intranet services.
   • Migrate P-690/Regatta-1 Lpars from AIX v5.1 to v5.2 enabling dynamic resource allocation.

   More senior unix systems engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior unix systems engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior unix systems engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior unix systems engineer in Vermont may be lower than in California, and an entry-level senior unix systems engineer usually earns less than a senior-level senior unix systems engineer. Additionally, a senior unix systems engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior unix systems engineer salary

   $97,641yearly

   $46.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior unix systems engineer salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average senior unix systems engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$143,297	$69
   2	Washington	$118,295	$57
   3	New York	$107,958	$52
   4	Virginia	$91,713	$44
   5	North Carolina	$91,580	$44
   6	Arizona	$88,368	$42
   7	Massachusetts	$86,522	$42
   8	Texas	$86,097	$41
   9	Missouri	$84,118	$40
   10	Nebraska	$83,674	$40
   11	New Jersey	$79,783	$38

   Average senior unix systems engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Gap Inc.	$136,891	$65.81
   2	Oriental Trading	$126,516	$60.83
   3	Salesforce	$120,044	$57.71	8
   4	TeleCommunication Systems	$111,975	$53.83
   5	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$107,627	$51.74	39
   6	Navisite	$104,928	$50.45
   7	Amkor Technology, Inc.	$104,673	$50.32
   8	Clear Markets	$101,690	$48.89
   9	Matlen Silver	$100,021	$48.09	1
   10	Enterprise Holdings	$96,735	$46.51
   11	Leidos	$89,080	$42.83	562
   12	Pyramid Technology Solutions	$77,686	$37.35

4. Writing a senior unix systems engineer job description

   A senior unix systems engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior unix systems engineer job description:

   Senior unix systems engineer job description example

   Carnegie Mellon University's department of Computing Services is an organization affected by continuous change, driven by the accelerated pace of technology advances, demands for digital transformation, and desire for business process efficiencies. Creating and improving an environment where all staff may learn, thrive, and contribute in accordance with their unique strengths is critical for successfully keeping up with change. A key component is to deliberately focus on building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture where all contributors with various life experiences are encouraged to bring perspectives with broader, more heterogeneous visions of how to engage, innovate, and serve
   
   Computing Services is searching for a Sr. Unix System Engineer. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in an interesting and challenging work environment. You will contribute to the department by being responsible for server management within the central group supporting enterprise-wide systems.
   Your core responsibilities will include:
   
   Systems administration and support: Maintain and administer UNIX servers and related computer systems, including operating systems software, applications software, and all configurations. Examples of maintenance include performing routine system hardware and software upgrades on a periodic basis. This may include larger projects. Systems Development: Scripting or programming experience, particularly for automating administrative tasks and deploying Infrastructure as Code solutions. The ability to support, maintain and develop these infrastructure tools and associated code. Testing and troubleshooting: Subcategory of "systems administration and support" and "systems development" specific to higher level problem resolution and quality assurance. Documentation: Ensure that all system administrator projects and procedures are documented, including design documents, ongoing status reports, and summary reports. Document and log all changes to system software and configurations. Edit and revise project justifications, project documentation, and other reports and documents. Systems Configuration: Subcategory of "systems administration and support" specific to configuration of various software packages, both involving our internal support structure and target applications. Architecting systems: This category includes interfacing with the user(s) and sponsor(s) and all other stakeholders in order to determine their (evolving) needs; generating the highest level of solutions requirements, based on the user's needs and other constraints such as cost and schedule; performing cost-benefit analyses to determine whether requirements are best met by manual, software, or hardware functions; partitioning large solutions into (successive layers of) subsystems and components; ensuring that a sufficiently robust Keep current with new technologies. Continue to develop leadership/professional qualifications through continuing education, further schooling, and technical/professional reading. Responding to trouble tickets and other requests from users. Other Duties as assigned.
   
   Flexibility, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Computing Services. Inclusion, collaboration and cultural sensitivity are valued competencies at CMU. Therefore, we are in search of a team member who is able to effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.
   
   You should demonstrate:
   
   Thorough knowledge of programming code (e.g. Ruby, Python, Perl) and version control systems (Git) to support systems, tools, APIs, and internal processes. Deploy and support modern RHEL releases and supporting Systems Management tools (e.g. Puppet Enterprise, Ansible, Terraform, etc)
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field. At least 4 years of UNIX systems administration experience in an enterprise environment supporting High Availability solutions. Or a combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is proven
   
   Requirements:
   
   Successful background check
   
   Are you interested in this phenomenal opportunity?! Apply today!
   
   CMU's COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements: As a condition of employment, Carnegie Mellon University requires all staff and faculty working in the United States to be fully vaccinated, including a booster when eligible, against COVID-19. Prior to commencement of employment, new hires in the United States must provide proof of vaccination or obtain an approved exemption. (Exemptions may be requested for medical reasons or for religious or strong moral or ethical conviction.) Those granted an exemption must comply with all applicable COVID-19 mitigation requirements. The most up-to-date information on CMU's COVID-19 mitigation requirements can be found here: Minimum Requirements to Return to Campus.
   
   Location
   Pittsburgh, PA
   Job Function
   Software/Applications Development/Engineering
   Position Type
   Staff - Regular
   Full Time/Part time
   Full time
   Pay Basis
   Salary
   More Information:
   
   Please visit "Why Carnegie Mellon" to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world. Click here to view a listing of employee benefits Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran . Statement of Assurance

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior unix systems engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior unix systems engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior unix systems engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior unix systems engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality senior unix systems engineer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit senior unix systems engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a senior unix systems engineer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior unix systems engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior unix systems engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior unix systems engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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