Title: Network Security Engineer - Firewall Operations (Run & Maintain)
Location: 5 DAYS/WEEK Onsite- Dallas, TX 75243
Duration: 6 Months Contract
Position Overview:
The engineer will help establish disciplined, repeatable firewall operations and work alongside the customer’s network team. This is an operational support contract role. Engagement duration and individual assignment lengths are to be determined.
Responsibilities:
Administer and maintain Palo Alto firewalls, including security policy changes, rule creation and updates, upgrades, and troubleshooting.
Review existing firewall rules for accuracy, business need, and opportunities to remove or refine access; document findings and recommended changes.
Apply a consistent change process, including validation, documentation, and peer review before implementation where required.
Assess each request rather than treating a baseline request as automatic approval. Follow the customer’s access-approval process, particularly for changes that add or reduce access, and confirm decision rights when unclear.
Support day-to-day firewall operations, investigate connectivity and policy issues, and coordinate resolution with network and security stakeholders.
Help improve operational practices for firewall rule maintenance, change quality, and secure operations.
Troubleshoot network traffic flows using packet captures, traces, logs, and other diagnostic methods; support Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) related investigation as needed.
Provide clear change records, operational documentation, and knowledge transfer to the customer’s team.
Qualifications:
5-7+ years of relevant network security experience.
Hands-on experience administering enterprise firewalls, with strong Palo Alto Networks firewall policy experience.
Practical experience managing virtual private networks (VPNs) and troubleshooting VPN connectivity.
Experience with firewall rule lifecycle activities, including reviewing, modifying, validating, and documenting rules.
Strong networking fundamentals, including routing and BGP troubleshooting.
Ability to analyze traffic flows and use packet captures or network traces to isolate issues.
Familiarity with structured change management and peer-review practices.
Clear communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with network, security, and operations teams.
Preferred:
Fortinet firewall experience, especially in environments where Fortinet supports outbound traffic flows.
Experience with Active Directory and VPN profile integration or configuration.
Experience supporting firewall platform upgrades or preparing firewall operations for management-platform transitions.
Experience improving firewall zoning, policy hygiene, and secure operational standards.
Tools and Technologies:
Palo Alto Networks firewalls
Fortinet firewalls
VPN technologies
Active Directory
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
Packet captures and network traces
Firewall and security logs
Structured change-management and peer-review processes
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