Network & Firewall Engineer

Role: Network & Firewall Engineer

Location: Las Vegas NV- on site- 3 days a week

Employment type: Contract

Firewall & Network Security Operations

• Own and manage a high-volume firewall and network security ticket queue, ensuring timely resolution while maintaining quality and compliance standards
• Triage, prioritize, and resolve complex firewall, network, and security incidents in a production enterprise environment
• Reduce and sustain backlog levels through disciplined workflow management and proactive issue resolution
• Maintain operational stability across firewall and perimeter security platforms

Incident Response & Risk Management

• Act as a calm, technically authoritative escalation point for complex or high-risk network security issues
• Identify potential security, availability, and operational risks early and remediate before business impact occurs
• Ensure rapid response times and professional communication during incidents affecting business-critical systems

Platform Expertise & Engineering

• Engineer, configure, upgrade, and maintain Palo Alto Networks firewalls, Panorama, and related security infrastructure
• Perform firewall OS upgrades, hardware refreshes, and configuration lifecycle management
• Manage high-availability (HA) firewall environments at scale
• Ensure configuration consistency, uptime, and audit readiness across large firewall estates

Automation & Tooling

• Design and implement automation solutions using:
• Palo Alto APIs
• PAN-OS SDK
• Python scripting
• Automate repetitive operational tasks to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability
• Reduce human error and configuration drift through programmatic controls

Certificate & Encryption Management

• Plan and execute enterprise-wide SSL/TLS certificate deployments and renewals
• Manage SAN certificates, DNS validation, and domain ownership challenges
• Deploy certificates across multiple Panorama instances and dozens of firewalls with minimal downtime
• Ensure encryption standards meet security, compliance, and audit requirements

Project & Initiative Support

• Serve as a key technical contributor for large-scale initiatives, including:
• Citrix NetScaler upgrades
• Palo Alto firewall upgrades and hardware refreshes
• Keep project workstreams on track by resolving technical blockers and reducing implementation risk
• Balance project delivery with operational workload

Vendor & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Act as a technical liaison with external vendors and partners
• Collaborate effectively with internal security, infrastructure, and business teams
• Maintain strong professional relationships through responsiveness, clarity, and accountability

Documentation & Audit Readiness

• Ensure firewall configurations, changes, and operational procedures support audit and compliance requirements
• Maintain documentation and standards that strengthen organizational trust in security operations

Work Ethic & Ownership

• Demonstrate strong ownership and accountability for assigned platforms and services
• Willingly support extended operational demands, including after-hours work when required
• Operate with a proactive mindset, exceeding baseline expectations to ensure service reliability

Required Technical Skill Sets

• Palo Alto Networks Firewalls & Panorama (advanced)
• Network security architecture and firewall policy management
• Python scripting and automation
• REST APIs and SDK integration (PAN-OS SDK)
• SSL/TLS, PKI, and certificate lifecycle management
• DNS, SAN certificates, and domain validation
• High-availability network design
• Incident management and operational triage

Required Professional Competencies

• Exceptional time management and prioritization under heavy workload
• Strong problem-solving skills in high-pressure environments
• Clear, professional communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to operate independently while collaborating across teams
• Trusted, steady presence during incidents and critical projects