HCLTech
Patch Management Specialist
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We are a $13+ billion global technology company, home to more than 224,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud, and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. HCLTech is a globally recognized leader in the Tech and IT industry, but we’ve never forgotten the startup mindset that got us here. We’ve always approached our work with an idea-first attitude because every one of our accomplishments —no matter how big or small —can be traced back to an idea’s single spark.
It’s that spark —that inner drive —that sets our people apart from our competitors. It enables us not just to pull off game-changing feat after game-changing feat but to better our world in the process. We want you to find your spark. Because that’s what drives you to be better, be more and ultimately, be more fulfilled.
Level L2 – Mid-Level
Location On-site / Hybrid - London or Birmingham
Experience
3 – 6 years in server / data center operations
Education
B.Tech / B.Sc. (Computer Science / IT) or equivalent
ROLE SUMMARY
The L2 Senior Data Center Patch Management Engineer is responsible for the full lifecycle of server patching across a hybrid data center environment (physical, virtual, and cloud-connected). This includes toolchain management, automation development, vulnerability-driven prioritisation, and L1 escalation support. The role requires deep knowledge of enterprise server platforms, hypervisors, and infrastructure automation.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage the end-to-end patch management lifecycle for Windows Server and Linux (RHEL/Ubuntu/SUSE) environments.
- Maintain and optimise patch management tooling: WSUS, SCCM SUP, Red Hat Satellite, Ansible, or similar.
- Develop and maintain automation scripts (PowerShell, Bash, Ansible playbooks) for patch orchestration, pre/post-checks, and compliance reporting.
- Analyse vulnerability scan outputs (Qualys, Tenable) and map CVEs to required patches; prioritise based on CVSS and business criticality.
- Design and maintain patching runbooks, maintenance window procedures, and rollback plans for server environments.
- Oversee VMware vSphere / Hyper-V snapshot and backup verification before patching; manage rollback in failure scenarios.
- Co-ordinate with application, DBA, and storage teams to ensure application-consistent patching with zero unplanned downtime.
- Drive patch compliance metrics towards defined SLAs (Critical: 72 hrs, High: 7 days, Medium: 30 days).
- Act as L2 escalation point for patch-related incidents; conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
- Maintain CMDB accuracy for server patch status and configuration baseline.
- Present patch compliance dashboards and trend reports to management and security teams.
- Mentor L1 analysts and support onboarding of new team members.
TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
- Advanced Windows Server administration (2016/2019/2022): roles, features, update mechanisms (CBS, WUA).
- Strong Linux skills: RPM/YUM/DNF on RHEL; APT on Ubuntu; patch lifecycle, kernel updates, reboot management.
- Deep expertise in patch tooling: WSUS / SCCM SUP, Red Hat Satellite, Ansible Tower/AWX.
- Scripting: Advanced PowerShell and Bash; experience with Ansible YAML playbooks.
- Virtualisation: VMware vSphere (vCenter, ESXi), Hyper-V – snapshot workflows and patching order (hosts before guests).
- Cloud exposure: AWS SSM Patch Manager or Azure Update Manager for hybrid environments.
- Vulnerability management: Qualys, Tenable Nessus/SC, mapping CVEs to patch remediation.
- ITSM: ServiceNow – change management, CMDB, and automated ticket creation.
- Understanding of storage (SAN/NAS) and cluster patching procedures (Windows Failover Cluster, RHEL HA).
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SOFT SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Strong analytical skills to diagnose complex patch failures across layered infrastructure.
- Excellent planning and co-ordination skills for large-scale maintenance windows.
- Clear written and verbal communication with technical and management audiences.
- Risk-aware mindset – balances security urgency with operational stability.
- Self-driven; proactively identifies tooling gaps and implements improvements.
PREFERRED CERTIFICATIONS
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
- Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate (AZ-800/AZ-801)
- VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualisation (VCP-DCV)
- CompTIA Security+ or CySA+
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator or Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
- ITIL 4 Foundation or Managing Professional
Level L2 – Mid-Level
Location On-site / Hybrid - London or Birmingham
Experience
3 – 6 years in middleware / application infrastructure
Education
B.Tech (Computer Science / IT) or equivalent
ROLE SUMMARY
The L2 Senior Application Infrastructure Patch Management Engineer owns the patching lifecycle for the full application layer including web servers, application servers, middleware components, messaging queues, and database engines. The role requires deep technical expertise to design patching runbooks, automate patch workflows, resolve complex compatibility issues, and align patching activities with vulnerability management and change management processes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage end-to-end patching for web servers (Apache HTTP, Nginx, IIS), application servers (Tomcat, JBoss/WildFly, WebLogic, WebSphere), and middleware (MQ, ActiveMQ, Kafka) across on-prem and cloud environments.
- Own the Java / JDK / JRE version management strategy across the application estate.
- Assess vendor CVEs and security bulletins for application components; drive patch prioritisation using CVSS scores and application criticality.
- Develop and maintain detailed patching runbooks, rollback procedures, and post-validation scripts for each platform.
- Automate patching workflows using Ansible, Python, or shell scripting; integrate with CI/CD pipelines where applicable.
- Lead patch testing in non-production environments; validate application behaviour and performance post-patch before production rollout.
- Co-ordinate with DBA teams for database patching (Oracle PSU/RU, MS SQL CU, MySQL updates) and ensure application compatibility.
- Act as L2 escalation for patch-related application failures, class loader conflicts, and compatibility issues.
- Integrate application patch compliance data with vulnerability management tools (Qualys, Tenable) and SIEM dashboards.
- Conduct root cause analysis for patch-induced incidents; produce post-incident reports.
- Maintain CMDB accuracy for application component versions and patch status.
- Drive SLA adherence: Critical patches applied within 72 hours post-approval.
- Mentor L1 analysts; review change records and patching logs.
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TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
- Deep expertise in application server administration: Apache Tomcat, JBoss/WildFly, Oracle WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft IIS.
- Java platform mastery: JDK/JRE lifecycle, version compatibility, classloading issues, GC tuning, and security manager updates.
- Middleware patching: IBM MQ, ActiveMQ, RabbitMQ, Apache Kafka – upgrade procedures and backward compatibility.
- Database patching knowledge: Oracle (PSU, RU, one-off patches), MS SQL Server (CU, GDR), MySQL/PostgreSQL minor/major upgrades.
- Web server security hardening post-patch: cipher suite updates, TLS/SSL certificate management, module disabling.
- Automation: Ansible playbooks, Python (Paramiko / Fabric), Bash for patching orchestration.
- CI/CD integration: Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps – automated patching pipelines in lower environments.
- Cloud: AWS (EC2 patch via SSM), Azure (Update Manager), container image patching (Docker base image updates).
- Vulnerability management: Qualys Web Application Scanning, Tenable.io, Nexus/Trivy for container vulnerabilities.
- ITSM: ServiceNow change management, CMDB, and automated compliance workflows.
SOFT SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Strong analytical skills to diagnose complex application compatibility issues post-patch.
- Excellent planning and risk communication for patching highly critical production systems.
- Collaborative approach with DBA, application development, and security teams.
- Thorough documentation – clear runbooks, RCAs, and compliance evidence.
- Continuous improvement mindset – automates repetitive tasks and drives toolchain maturity.
PREFERRED CERTIFICATIONS
- Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) – Java SE or WebLogic Server
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator or Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) – advantageous for container environments
- CompTIA Security+ or CySA+
- ITIL 4 Foundation or Managing Professional
Benefits
- A supportive, diverse, and global team with a brilliant culture.
- Competitive compensation and benefits that includes up to 20 days’ vacation per year, various insurances like Term life and Business Travel insurance. These are apart from the statutory benefits applicable in the country. Employee benefits are regulated by an internal policy that contains full details regarding the entitlement and conditions for the benefits as per the law of the land.
- Total Wellbeing is our focus. Alongside your professional excellence, you join the likeminded colleagues to create a larger impact within the company and society at large in your chosen area of passion - CSR Council, Diversity Council, Women Connect, Sparks
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