OPT Linux Software Engineer Jobs
Linux Software Engineer jobs are among the more OPT-friendly roles in tech because the skill set is concrete and verifiable. Employers regularly sponsor STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to three years of work authorization. Strong kernel, shell scripting, and systems programming experience carries significant weight in the hiring process.
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Get Access To All JobsJob no: 560783
Work type: Staff
Location: Fullerton
Categories: Unit 9 - CSUEU - Technical Support Services, Administrative, Probationary, Full Time, Information Systems & Technology
Job Title
Linux Systems Administrator II
Classification
Systems Administrator II
Auto Req. ID
560783
Salary Range
Classification Range $6,492 - $9,458 per month
(Hiring range depending on qualifications, not anticipated to exceed $6,492 - $8,566 per month)
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM; occasional early morning, evening and/or weekend hours.
Why CSUF
California State University, Fullerton (Cal State Fullerton) is a leading public university committed to student success, academic excellence, and inclusive excellence. The university fosters a collaborative environment that supports teaching, research, and service while promoting innovation and professional growth. Cal State Fullerton is both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, and a recipient of the Seal of Excelencia (2021 and 2024) from Excelencia in Education. Joining Cal State Fullerton means becoming part of a community dedicated to advancing student achievement, career success, and economic mobility.
Department
The Division of Information Technology (IT) strives to be a strategic, innovative, and best‐in‐class IT organization that provides a leading‐edge technology environment for students, faculty, and staff to advance the University’s mission, vision, and goals. We are seeking an exceptional individual to join our IT Infrastructure Services department as the Linux Systems Administrator II. The ideal candidate in this role should have a positive attitude and an active, energetic mind characterized by highly ethical practices and a commitment to inclusivity, openness, flexibility, integrity, and kindness.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under general supervision, the Linux Systems Administrator II is responsible for the installation, configuration, administration, monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, and security of Linux servers, High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure, virtualization platforms, storage systems, and related enterprise services supporting academic, research, and administrative computing. Applies systems administration knowledge and technical expertise to ensure the availability, reliability, performance, and security of enterprise Linux environments and research computing resources. This position participates in planning, implementation, documentation, automation, and operational support of campus Linux and HPC services while providing technical consultation and support to faculty, researchers, staff, and students. Other duties as assigned.
Essential Qualifications
Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field and two years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis. Under general supervision, deploys and maintains computer systems, servers, and network infrastructure. Applies systems administration knowledge to ensure the availability, reliability, and security of systems by deploying and managing systems and serving on teams to develop and implement new systems. Provides technical support and implements system enhancements. Works independently on most day-to-day assignments with general supervision on new assignments or projects to ensure alignment with objectives. Handles multiple work priorities and is accountable for own work results.
Working knowledge of operating systems, server administration, scripting languages, virtualization technologies and cloud technologies, and related system administration concepts, principles, and technologies. Working knowledge of troubleshooting hardware and software issues and providing technical support. Working knowledge of applications programming techniques and procedures. Strong organizational skills to plan, organize, and manage multiple time sensitive assignments and smaller projects. Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to present technical information to technically diverse audiences in a clear and concise manner. Strong analytical skills to evaluate, monitor, and resolve systems issues and design, develop, and implement systems solutions. Skill in leading the work of others. Proficiency in using applicable software, server, and system technologies and programs. Knowledge of higher education policies, data needs, and data privacy regulations.
A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to complete the background check satisfactorily may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience. The position requires the equivalent of two or more years of progressively responsible experience administering enterprise Linux systems, with experience supporting enterprise server environments including virtualization, storage, scripting, monitoring, and system security. Candidates should have experience troubleshooting complex Linux operating system and infrastructure issues, including administering High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters and supporting Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management (SLURM) or similar workload scheduling systems.
Experience supporting graphics processing unit (GPU) computing, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), or scientific computing environments is preferred, along with experience using container technologies such as Docker, Podman, Singularity/Apptainer, or Kubernetes. Additional experience with automation and configuration management tools such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef; supporting cloud-based Linux infrastructure in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform; and using enterprise monitoring platforms such as Nagios, Prometheus, Grafana, or Zabbix is highly desirable. Experience supporting higher education or research computing environments, as well as Linux certification, is also preferred.
License/Certifications
A valid California driver’s license.
Special Working Conditions
Notice of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator
Benefits at a Glance
- An array of health plans that include prescription drug coverage
- Dental and Vision coverage
- Income protection benefits including life insurance and disability
- Retirement plan through CalPERS
- Tuition waiver for employees and dependents if eligible
- FlexCash (in lieu of health and dental)
- Employee Assistance Programs
- 15 paid holidays
See our CSUF Benefits website for additional information.
Additional Information
California State University, Fullerton is committed to fostering an environment where students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. We welcome individuals ready to make an impact on student and staff success to apply and become part of the Titan Community. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.
Cal State Fullerton is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination based on regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or any other protected status.
As of January 1, 2022, the CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.
The person holding this position is considered a general mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirement outlined in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017.
Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.
Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based on the strength of the applicant pool.
If you are applying for a staff position, please note that you are not eligible to work concurrently in a staff position and an Academic Student position such as a Graduate Assistant, Teaching Associate, Instructional Student Assistant, or Student Assistant position.
Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment.
Employee/applicant who applies for a position may be required to successfully complete job-related performance test(s) as part of the selection process.
Online application/resume must be received by electronic submission on the final filing date by 9:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time)/midnight (Eastern Standard Time). Applicants who fail to complete all sections of the online application form will be disqualified from consideration.
California State University, Fullerton is not currently sponsoring any new H-1B petitions for staff, management, or faculty positions.
Effective October 1, 2025, the California State University (CSU) will implement a salary step structure for CSUEU-represented employees in bargaining units 2, 5, 7, and 9. This position may be subject to changes resulting from this implementation, in alignment with the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
Hiring Preference
On-Campus CSUEU Employees
Advertised: Aug 06 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: Aug 20 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Job no: 560783
Work type: Staff
Location: Fullerton
Categories: Unit 9 - CSUEU - Technical Support Services, Administrative, Probationary, Full Time, Information Systems & Technology
Job Title
Linux Systems Administrator II
Classification
Systems Administrator II
Auto Req. ID
560783
Salary Range
Classification Range $6,492 - $9,458 per month
(Hiring range depending on qualifications, not anticipated to exceed $6,492 - $8,566 per month)
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM; occasional early morning, evening and/or weekend hours.
Why CSUF
California State University, Fullerton (Cal State Fullerton) is a leading public university committed to student success, academic excellence, and inclusive excellence. The university fosters a collaborative environment that supports teaching, research, and service while promoting innovation and professional growth. Cal State Fullerton is both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, and a recipient of the Seal of Excelencia (2021 and 2024) from Excelencia in Education. Joining Cal State Fullerton means becoming part of a community dedicated to advancing student achievement, career success, and economic mobility.
Department
The Division of Information Technology (IT) strives to be a strategic, innovative, and best‐in‐class IT organization that provides a leading‐edge technology environment for students, faculty, and staff to advance the University’s mission, vision, and goals. We are seeking an exceptional individual to join our IT Infrastructure Services department as the Linux Systems Administrator II. The ideal candidate in this role should have a positive attitude and an active, energetic mind characterized by highly ethical practices and a commitment to inclusivity, openness, flexibility, integrity, and kindness.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under general supervision, the Linux Systems Administrator II is responsible for the installation, configuration, administration, monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, and security of Linux servers, High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure, virtualization platforms, storage systems, and related enterprise services supporting academic, research, and administrative computing. Applies systems administration knowledge and technical expertise to ensure the availability, reliability, performance, and security of enterprise Linux environments and research computing resources. This position participates in planning, implementation, documentation, automation, and operational support of campus Linux and HPC services while providing technical consultation and support to faculty, researchers, staff, and students. Other duties as assigned.
Essential Qualifications
Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field and two years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis. Under general supervision, deploys and maintains computer systems, servers, and network infrastructure. Applies systems administration knowledge to ensure the availability, reliability, and security of systems by deploying and managing systems and serving on teams to develop and implement new systems. Provides technical support and implements system enhancements. Works independently on most day-to-day assignments with general supervision on new assignments or projects to ensure alignment with objectives. Handles multiple work priorities and is accountable for own work results.
Working knowledge of operating systems, server administration, scripting languages, virtualization technologies and cloud technologies, and related system administration concepts, principles, and technologies. Working knowledge of troubleshooting hardware and software issues and providing technical support. Working knowledge of applications programming techniques and procedures. Strong organizational skills to plan, organize, and manage multiple time sensitive assignments and smaller projects. Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to present technical information to technically diverse audiences in a clear and concise manner. Strong analytical skills to evaluate, monitor, and resolve systems issues and design, develop, and implement systems solutions. Skill in leading the work of others. Proficiency in using applicable software, server, and system technologies and programs. Knowledge of higher education policies, data needs, and data privacy regulations.
A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to complete the background check satisfactorily may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience. The position requires the equivalent of two or more years of progressively responsible experience administering enterprise Linux systems, with experience supporting enterprise server environments including virtualization, storage, scripting, monitoring, and system security. Candidates should have experience troubleshooting complex Linux operating system and infrastructure issues, including administering High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters and supporting Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management (SLURM) or similar workload scheduling systems.
Experience supporting graphics processing unit (GPU) computing, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), or scientific computing environments is preferred, along with experience using container technologies such as Docker, Podman, Singularity/Apptainer, or Kubernetes. Additional experience with automation and configuration management tools such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef; supporting cloud-based Linux infrastructure in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform; and using enterprise monitoring platforms such as Nagios, Prometheus, Grafana, or Zabbix is highly desirable. Experience supporting higher education or research computing environments, as well as Linux certification, is also preferred.
License/Certifications
A valid California driver’s license.
Special Working Conditions
Notice of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator
Benefits at a Glance
- An array of health plans that include prescription drug coverage
- Dental and Vision coverage
- Income protection benefits including life insurance and disability
- Retirement plan through CalPERS
- Tuition waiver for employees and dependents if eligible
- FlexCash (in lieu of health and dental)
- Employee Assistance Programs
- 15 paid holidays
See our CSUF Benefits website for additional information.
Additional Information
California State University, Fullerton is committed to fostering an environment where students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. We welcome individuals ready to make an impact on student and staff success to apply and become part of the Titan Community. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.
Cal State Fullerton is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination based on regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or any other protected status.
As of January 1, 2022, the CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.
The person holding this position is considered a general mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirement outlined in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017.
Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.
Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based on the strength of the applicant pool.
If you are applying for a staff position, please note that you are not eligible to work concurrently in a staff position and an Academic Student position such as a Graduate Assistant, Teaching Associate, Instructional Student Assistant, or Student Assistant position.
Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment.
Employee/applicant who applies for a position may be required to successfully complete job-related performance test(s) as part of the selection process.
Online application/resume must be received by electronic submission on the final filing date by 9:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time)/midnight (Eastern Standard Time). Applicants who fail to complete all sections of the online application form will be disqualified from consideration.
California State University, Fullerton is not currently sponsoring any new H-1B petitions for staff, management, or faculty positions.
Effective October 1, 2025, the California State University (CSU) will implement a salary step structure for CSUEU-represented employees in bargaining units 2, 5, 7, and 9. This position may be subject to changes resulting from this implementation, in alignment with the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
Hiring Preference
On-Campus CSUEU Employees
Advertised: Aug 06 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: Aug 20 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
See all 35+ OPT Linux Software Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Linux Software Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Linux Software Engineer
Target companies with existing Linux infrastructure
Companies running large-scale Linux environments, such as cloud providers, financial institutions, and defense contractors, hire Linux engineers regularly and are far more likely to have established OPT and H-1B visa sponsorship pipelines already in place.
Emphasize your STEM OPT eligibility upfront
Many hiring managers don't realize STEM OPT gives you 36 months of work authorization. Mentioning this early in outreach removes a common objection before it forms and signals that you understand your own status clearly.
Demonstrate kernel and systems depth, not just scripting
Surface-level Linux knowledge is common. Employers sponsoring OPT want engineers who understand kernel internals, device drivers, or low-level performance tuning. Depth in these areas justifies the sponsorship investment from a hiring manager's perspective.
Get relevant certifications before applying
Credentials like the RHCSA or LFCS signal verified Linux competency to employers unfamiliar with your university program. Certified candidates face less scrutiny in the screening process, which matters when OPT sponsorship is already a variable.
Focus on companies already filing H-1B petitions
Employers who sponsor H-1B visas routinely sponsor OPT as an earlier step in that same pipeline. Searching publicly available Labor Condition Application data lets you identify which companies have a real history of technical visa sponsorship.
Prepare a clear, one-sentence OPT status summary
When asked about work authorization, lead with something precise: your OPT end date, your STEM extension eligibility, and your degree field. Vague answers slow down recruiter decisions, while a clear summary makes it easy to move you forward.
Linux Software Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Linux Software Engineers in the United States?
Yes. Linux Software Engineer roles fall comfortably within STEM-designated degree fields like computer science, electrical engineering, and computer engineering. If your degree is STEM-classified, you qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension on top of your initial 12 months, giving you up to 36 months of authorized work in a directly related role.
What types of employers hire Linux Software Engineers on OPT sponsorship?
Cloud infrastructure providers, semiconductor companies, defense and aerospace contractors, financial technology firms, and enterprise software companies are the most consistent sponsors for this role. These employers run large Linux-based systems and need engineers with genuine depth. You can browse verified OPT-sponsoring employers hiring for this role on Migrate Mate, which filters specifically for companies open to F-1 candidates.
Does a Linux Software Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It does, provided your underlying degree is in a STEM-designated field. Computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and information systems all qualify. The role itself must also be directly related to your field of study. Linux Software Engineering maps cleanly to most STEM degree programs, so the extension is rarely the obstacle if your degree qualifies.
What skills make OPT candidates more competitive for Linux Software Engineer roles?
Employers paying close attention to OPT timelines want candidates who can contribute quickly. Strong experience with kernel development, system call interfaces, networking stack internals, shell scripting, and containerization with tools like Docker or Kubernetes stands out. Open-source contributions to Linux-adjacent projects are particularly valuable because they provide public, verifiable evidence of your depth and initiative.
How early should I start applying for Linux Software Engineer jobs before my OPT begins?
You can apply for positions up to 90 days before your OPT start date, and most employers with structured sponsorship pipelines appreciate early outreach. For Linux roles specifically, technical screening rounds take time, so starting the application process two to three months ahead is practical. Factor in that your employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify to work with STEM OPT candidates.