Palo Alto Network Engineer

Palo Alto Network Engineer

Location: Houston TX Onsite

Long Term

Key Responsibilities

Palo Alto Firewall Administration

Design, deploy, configure, and manage Palo Alto NGFWs (PA Series, VM Series)

Implement and maintain security policies, NAT, routing, zones, and profiles

Manage Panorama for centralized firewall management

Perform firewall upgrades, patches, and license management

Security & Threat Prevention

Configure and manage Threat Prevention, URL Filtering, WildFire, Anti Virus, Anti Spyware

Implement User ID, App ID, Content ID for application aware security

Handle incident response, log analysis, and threat remediation

Support SOC teams with firewall logs and security investigations

VPN & Remote Access

Configure and maintain IPSec Site to Site VPNs

Manage GlobalProtect (Remote Access VPN)

Troubleshoot VPN connectivity and performance issues

Oil & Gas Domain Responsibilities

Secure upstream, midstream, and downstream network environments

Work with OT/ICS/SCADA network teams ensuring IT OT network segregation

Implement security controls aligned with industrial network best practices

Support environments such as refineries, drilling sites, pipelines, terminals

Compliance & Governance

Ensure compliance with ISO 27001, NIST, IEC 62443 or internal security standards

Support audits, risk assessments, and vulnerability remediation

Maintain detailed firewall documentation, diagrams, and SOPs

Collaboration & Support

Work closely with network, infrastructure, cloud, and SOC teams

Coordinate with vendors and OEM support (Palo Alto TAC)

Palo Alto Network Engineer

Provide L3 support and mentor junior engineers

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Skills

Strong hands on experience of more than 10+ years in networking with 6+ years in Palo Alto

Firewalls & Panorama

In depth knowledge of TCP/IP, routing (OSPF/BGP), NAT, VPNs

Experience integrating firewalls with SIEM tools

Strong troubleshooting and packet analysis skills

Domain Experience

Prior experience in Oil & Gas / Energy / Utilities environments

Understanding of OT vs IT network security challenges

Exposure to industrial control systems (ICS/SCADA) security is a strong plus

Cloud & Infrastructure (Preferred)

Experience with Palo Alto VM Series in AWS/Azure

Knowledge of hybrid network security architectures

Certifications (Preferrable)

PCNSA / PCNSE

CISSP / CISM (nice to have)

IEC 62443 or industrial security certifications (plus)

Nice to Have

Experience with Zero Trust architecture

Exposure to SD WAN security integration

Scripting or automation (Python, Ansible)