Network Security Engineer

Work Location: Richardson, Texas
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Employment Type: Contract
Experience Required: 8+ Years

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Network Security Engineer specializing in Palo Alto firewall technologies to support enterprise network security operations. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in firewall administration, VPN technologies, intrusion prevention systems, incident management, and network security troubleshooting.

The role involves managing enterprise firewall infrastructure, resolving critical incidents, executing firewall upgrades and migrations, and improving security operations. Candidates with experience supporting large enterprise environments and managing 100+ Palo Alto firewalls are highly preferred.

Primary Skills (Must-Have)

• Palo Alto Firewall Administration and Management,
• Palo Alto Firewall Troubleshooting,
• Palo Alto Panorama,
• IPsec VPN,
• SSL VPN
• Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
• Network Security Operations
• Firewall Upgrades and Migration
• Incident Management (P1/P2/P3)
• Network Security Troubleshooting

Secondary Skills (Preferred)

• Prisma / Prisma Access,
• ServiceNow Ticketing System,
• Change and Service Request Management
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Documentation
• Network Security Monitoring
• SLA and KPI Management
• Problem Management
• Firewall Policy Management
• Enterprise Network Security Architecture
• Vendor and Technical Support Coordination
• Team Leadership and Mentoring

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and execute major and minor firewall upgrades.
• Perform faulty firewall replacements, firewall migrations, and new firewall deployments.
• Resolve P1, P2, and P3 incidents within established service-level agreements.
• Troubleshoot L1, L2, and L3 network security tickets and handle escalations.
• Monitor ticket queues and coordinate ticket assignments and resolutions.
• Execute service requests and standard changes according to client procedures.
• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for Palo Alto firewall technologies.
• Create and maintain standard operating procedures and technical documentation.
• Participate in client calls and technical meetings.
• Create problem tickets and conduct root cause analysis.
• Identify service improvement opportunities to reduce recurring incidents.
• Review technical documentation and coordinate with hardware and software vendors.
• Support shift handoffs and operational continuity.
• Cross-train and mentor junior engineers.
• Monitor compliance requirements, SLAs, KPIs, and operational performance.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in network security engineering.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience with Palo Alto firewalls.
• Strong knowledge of IPsec and SSL VPN technologies.
• Experience with Panorama and Prisma security platforms.
• Experience troubleshooting enterprise firewall and network security issues.
• Familiarity with ServiceNow or similar ticketing systems.
• Strong communication, documentation, and incident management skills.
• Ability to manage priorities in a fast-paced enterprise operations environment.
• Experience collaborating with operations, engineering, and cross-functional security teams.