Network Engineer

Job Description

A federal agency client is seeking a Network Engineer to serve as the senior technical authority for enterprise Palo Alto firewall operations. This is a firewall-ownership role with full responsibility for policy management, network segmentation, secure remote access, and incident response across the security perimeter. The role also carries secondary responsibility for Cisco switching and routing operations, and includes technical mentorship of junior engineers.

Responsibilities:

Palo Alto Firewall Operations

Own the full lifecycle of the enterprise Palo Alto firewall environment, including hardware refresh, PAN-OS upgrades, and HA pair management

Design, implement, and maintain security policies, NAT rules, and application/URL filtering

Manage site-to-site VPN tunnels and GlobalProtect remote access infrastructure

Perform log analysis, packet captures, and firewall troubleshooting in support of incident response

Maintain rule hygiene through periodic policy reviews, unused-rule cleanup, and business justification documentation

Coordinate with the security team on IPS/IDS tuning and threat intelligence integration

Network Security and Segmentation

Design and maintain network segmentation architecture including security zones, microsegmentation, and trust boundaries

Develop and enforce network security standards and access control models aligned to federal compliance frameworks

Support audit, assessment, and compliance activities involving network security controls

Network Operations (Secondary)

Support operation and troubleshooting of Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switching platforms

Support BGP and EIGRP routing operations where they intersect with firewall infrastructure

Participate in network change management including planning, peer review, implementation, and post-change verification

Documentation and Monitoring

Produce and maintain configuration baselines, architecture diagrams, rule sets, runbooks, SOPs, and KBAs

Monitor firewall platform health, capacity, and performance

Contribute to operational reporting on firewall posture, rule changes, and security event trends

Technical Leadership

Serve as the senior SME for Palo Alto firewall operations across the organization

Lead firewall change reviews evaluating risk, compliance impact, and alignment with standards

Serve as the primary escalation point for complex firewall and segmentation incidents, including off-hours response

Mentor junior engineers and network support staff

Requirements

Required Qualifications

7+ years of enterprise network engineering experience, with 4+ years focused on Palo Alto firewall administration

Extensive hands-on experience with Palo Alto configuration, policy management, NAT, VPN, HA, and lifecycle support

Working knowledge of Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switching

Working knowledge of BGP and/or EIGRP as they relate to firewall infrastructure

Demonstrated experience leading technical reviews and mentoring junior staff

Strong documentation skills

Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

CompTIA Security+ or equivalent IAT Level II certification (required within 90 days of start; active cert strongly preferred at hire)

PCNSE certification or ability to obtain within 6 months of placement

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience

Preferred

Experience with Microsoft Azure networking (ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway, Virtual WAN)

Familiarity with VXLAN and modern data center networking concepts

Advanced BGP/EIGRP routing experience

Experience with F5 load balancers or Cisco DNA Center

Network automation experience with Python, Ansible, or PowerShell

Additional certifications: CCNP Security, CCNP Enterprise, Azure Network Engineer Associate, or CISSP

Familiarity with Zero Trust architecture, Agile, or ITIL frameworks

Experience supporting federal IT environments under FISMA Moderate or NIST 800-53

Full-time