Senior Network Security Engineer || Austin TX- onsite as needed (2-3 times per month) - Must Be commutable Distance

Security Clearance Required.

Business Justification/Executive Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled Tier 3 Perimeter Engineer with deep expertise in Cisco Secure Firepower Firewalls to support an enterprise-scale Managed Network Services environment for a State Government Agency.

Position Summary

This position functions as a Tier 3 resource within the Firewall Team and is responsible for advanced troubleshooting, operational support, and change execution in accordance with contractual and agency-defined processes. The engineer will work closely with internal teams to ensure the reliability, security, and performance of the firewall infrastructure.

Engagement information:

• Position type: Contractor (primarily remote)
• Location (preferred): Residence within one (1) hour of Austin, TX
• Other:
• This position supports a long-term Managed Network Services (MNS) engagement for a state government agency.
• The selected candidate will work as part of a firewall operations team supporting contractual service delivery requirements.
• On-site support will be required periodically to support operational needs, including but not limited to:
• OSI Model Layer 1 (Physical) support activities,
• Direct access during major or high-risk network changes, and
• Critical troubleshooting events that require a hands-on presence.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a Tier 3 escalation point for complex firewall and network security issues.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting and root cause analysis for Cisco Secure Firepower Firewall incidents.
• Perform day-to-day firewall operational support using Cisco Secure FMC, including but not limited to:
• Creating and maintaining operational and compliance reports,
• Monitoring firewall health and system performance,
• Analyzing traffic flows and connection behavior, and
• Supporting routing protocols within secured environments.
• Troubleshoot and support VPN technologies, including site-to-site and remote access VPNs.
• Analyze, implement, and optimize firewall access control and security policies.
• Participate in formal change management processes, including documentation, peer review, approvals, and scheduled implementations.
• Execute approved changes during after-hours change windows, as required.
• Participate in a team-based on-call rotation to support after-hours and emergency incidents.
• Collaborate with engineering teams and operational stakeholders to meet Managed Network Services (MNS) obligations.

Required Skills

General Abilities

• Familiarity with large-scale enterprise or government environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to clearly document technical findings, configurations, and change activities
• Ability to communicate effectively within structured, process-driven environments

General Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of routing concepts and protocols in secured network environments

Specific Technical Skills

• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco Secure Firepower Firewalls
• Advanced troubleshooting experience, including but not limited to:
• Snort 3 (Intrusion Prevention System [IPS] and file policies)
• Traffic flow analysis and packet inspection
• NAT and/or PAT configuration and troubleshooting
• Security Intelligence policies
• Access control rule analysis
• OSI Layers 1 through 7, with particular emphasis on Layers 1 through 4
• Solid operational experience with Cisco Secure FMC
• Proven experience in troubleshooting VPN technologies (i.e., Cisco Secure Client/AnyConnect)

Desired Skills

• Experience with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
• Familiarity with ServiceNow and/or similar ITSM tools for incident and change management
• Experience creating, editing, and maintaining network topology diagrams
• Experience in Microsoft Visio