Network Security Engineer (Palo Alto, Firewalls, LAN/WAN)

Network Security Engineer

Contract to hire

In Denton TX On site

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced IT Network & Security Expert to design, implement, secure, and maintain our enterprise network infrastructure. The ideal candidate has deep technical expertise in network architecture, firewalls, security controls, incident response. You will play a key role in ensuring our systems remain reliable, scalable, and protected against evolving cyber threats.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and manage enterprise LAN, WAN, WLAN, and VPN infrastructures.
• Configure and maintain routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and monitoring systems.
• Optimize network performance, capacity, and load balancing to ensure high availability.
• Troubleshoot network issues and perform root-cause analysis.

Security Architecture & Management

• Implement and manage security solutions such as firewalls, IDS/IPS, SIEM, endpoint protection, and DLP.
• Conduct regular security assessments, vulnerability scans, and penetration tests.
• Develop and enforce network security policies, standards, and procedures.
• Monitor security alerts and lead incident response activities.

Governance, Compliance & Documentation

• Support compliance with ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR, and other relevant frameworks.
• Maintain detailed documentation of network diagrams, configurations, and processes.
• Participate in audits, risk assessments, and disaster recovery planning.

Collaboration & Support

• Work closely with DevOps, IT Support, and software teams to deliver secure solutions.
• Provide advanced technical support, guidance, and training to internal teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in network engineering and cybersecurity roles.
• Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), VLANs, MPLS, and VPNs.
• Expertise with firewall technologies (e.g., Palo Alto, Cisco switches, Cisco Firepower).
• Solid understanding of identity and access management (IAM), MFA, PKI, and SSO.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as:
• CCNA/CCNP/CCIE
• CISSP, CISM, CEH
• Security+, Network+
• Azure/AWS security or networking certifications
• Experience with Palo Alto, SD-WAN, NAC (e.g., Cisco ISE), and Wi-Fi 6 technologies.
• Previous experience in SOC operations or cyber threat analysis a plus.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• High attention to detail and security-minded mindset.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Network and Telecommunications (CISCO, MPLS/WAN/LAN) Expert
• Security (Palo Alto, Forcepoint, Encryption) Expert
• ITIL processes - Basic
• Excellent verbal and oral communication Advanced (English)
• Exposure or knowledge of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), NISTSP800-171, NISTSP800 172 a plus.

Work Environment:

• This role may require occasional evening or weekend work during planned outages or upgrades.