Network Security Engineer (Palo Alto SME)

Role: Network Security Engineer (Palo Alto SME)
Location: Richardson, TX (Onsite-Hybrid)
Duration: 7 Months 
(8/26/2026 – 3/31/2027)
Pay Rate: $60.00/hr On W2

Role Summary
Seeking an 8+ years experienced Network Security Engineer / Palo Alto Subject Matter Expert for an onsite-hybrid role in Richardson, TX.
 The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise managing large enterprise network environments (100+ Palo Alto firewalls), Panorama, Prisma Access/SD-WAN, IPS, and IPSec/SSL VPNs. 
Responsibilities center on L1–L3 incident management, major/minor OS upgrades, firewall migrations, hardware RMAs, ServiceNow queue management, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and cross-functional operational collaboration.

Key Responsibilities
* Firewall Infrastructure & Upgrades: Plan, execute, and govern major/minor PanOS upgrades, hardware replacements (RMA), firewall migrations, and new Palo Alto firewall deployments.
* Panorama & Enterprise Management: Manage large-scale enterprise deployments (100+ firewalls) utilizing Panorama Dashboard and Prisma Access environments.
* Incident & Ticket Resolution: Drive P1/P2/P3 incident troubleshooting, manage ServiceNow ticket queues, and conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA) with Problem Management teams.
* Network Security Services: Configure and troubleshoot IPSec/SSL VPN tunnels, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), NAT policies, and security rulebases.
* Operational Leadership & Governance: Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), partner with Palo Alto TAC, participate in shift handoffs, and drive Service Improvement Programs (SIP).

Required Skills
* Core Firewall Platform: 8+ Years Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW)
* Management & Cloud Security: Panorama Dashboard, Prisma Access / Prisma SD-WAN
* VPN & Threat Prevention: IPSec VPN, SSL VPN, Palo Alto IPS, Threat Prevention, WildFire
* ITSM & Operations: ServiceNow, ITIL Incident/Change/Problem Management, L1–L3 Escalations
* Scripting & Systems: PanOS, Linux Administration, Network Protocol Analysis (Wireshark, TCPDump)