Firewall Engineer

Title: Firewall Engineer Location: Hyattsville, MD / Washington, DC / Alexandria, VA (Onsite) Position: Contract

Note: Looking for a candidate who can work on W2

Minimum Requirements:
5-7 years in enterprise network engineering roles with a focus on firewalls; and
Three (3) years of hands-on experience configuring and supporting Palo Alto Networks firewalls (PA-series or VM-series).
Familiarity with Panorama, Palo Alto s centralized management solution.
Knowledge of network segmentation, NAT, SSL decryption, and IPsec tunnels.
Must be able to travel to multiple sites as needed.
May require work outside standard business hours during deployments or maintenance windows.
Strong proficiency in on prem and cloud Panorama management
Ability to reconcile complex data sets
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
Excellent organizational and time-management skills with ability to manage multiple tasks
and priorities simultaneously
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively
across teams and levels
Knowledge of industry best practices for IT Network security
Technical proficiency in using office productivity software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite,
Google Workspace)
Preferable professional certifications in Palo Alto firewall management.
Required Skills:
5 years in enterprise network engineering roles with a focus on firewalls; - 5 years
Hands-on experience configuring and supporting Palo Alto Networks firewalls (PA-series or VM-series). 5 years
Familiarity with Panorama, Palo Alto s centralized management solution. 2 years
Knowledge of network segmentation, NAT, SSL decryption, and IPsec tunnels. 5 years
Strong proficiency in on prem and cloud Panorama management 5 years
Knowledge of industry best practices for IT Network security - 5 years
Exceptional Firewall configuration and management skills. 5 years
Proven ability to review router configuration and migrate to a firewall. 5 years
Preferable professional certifications in Palo Alto firewall management.
Bachelor s degree in computer science, information technology, management information systems, or a related discipline. - Required

Job Description:
Client is looking for a resource to deploy and support the replacement of routers with a firewall.
Working with the security team to install and cable the firewall at the partner sites.
Configure Palo Alto firewall from the box.
Test and document all the implementation with updated drawings.

Duties/Responsibilities:
Perform router replacement with firewall, policy configurations, software updates, and health monitoring.
Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to plan and execute firewall replacement projects at partner sites.
Implement secure network designs, including site-to-site VPNs, DMZs, and segmentation policies.
Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for firewall-related security incidents, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis (RCA).
Conduct periodic firewall reviews and ensure compliance with organizational security policies and standards.
Work with the cybersecurity team to ensure firewall configurations align with audit, compliance, and regulatory requirements (e.g., PCI, NIST).
Support testing at data centers and prepare documentation to aid implementation at remote or partner sites.
Design, configure, implement, install, and manage Palo Alto devices including firewalls and support any needed integration with existing tools in both on-premises and remote locations.
Support device migration, troubleshooting, and diagnosis which may include site surveys, site-to-site visits, and testing validation.
Continuous monitoring and assessment of network security by testing and implementing security technologies and management of device operations and maintenance.
Provide customers with Palo Alto security solutions based on infrastructure requirements.
Collaborate in the design and implementation of complex network technologies (Data Center, Cloud, Hybrid)
Develop and maintain technical documentation, network diagrams, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Firewall Rules, Configurations, Change Control records, and Work Instructions
Perform platform lifecycle management activities (patching, monitoring, upgrades, policy configuration, etc.)
Education / Minimal qualification:
Bachelor s degree in computer science, information technology, management information systems, or a related discipline.
Minimum of 8 years of demonstratable experience in Palo Alto security solutions or equivalent work experience demonstrating expertise in Palo Alto Firewall configurations and device management.