Senior Network Engineer (Palo Alto Firewall Specialist)

Role: Senior Network Engineer (Palo Alto Firewall Specialist)

Location: Santa Clara, CA – 100% Onsite (5 days/week)

Contract Duration: 4-6+ Months

Overview: We are seeking a hands-on Network Engineer with strong expertise in Palo Alto firewalls to support an enterprise network environment. The ideal candidate will be actively involved in network hardening, migration initiatives, and day-to-day network engineering tasks, working closely with infrastructure and security teams onsite.

Must Have: Advanced hands-on experience on Palo Alto Firewalls, Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, and Cisco Switching and Meraki. These are non-negotiable for this role.

Good to Have: Exposure to cloud networking in any capacity.

Important: We are looking for enterprise network engineers with broad multi-site experience. Data center only profiles will not be considered.

·        Cisco Nexus Switches

·        eBGP vs iBGP

·        Setting up PaloAlto firewall

·        Supporting Cisco products

·        TCP flags

·        Packet Capture Analysis

·        BGP configurations for an enterprise edge network.

·        NAT policies

Key Responsibilities:

Network & Security (Hands-on)

·        Configure, manage, and troubleshoot Palo Alto firewalls (policies, NAT, VPNs, security profiles).

·        Perform network hardening in line with enterprise security standards and best practices.

·        Support firewall rule optimization, audits, and performance tuning.

Enterprise Network Operations

·        Design, implement, and support enterprise-grade network infrastructure.

·        Execute network migration projects, including cutovers and post-migration validation.

·        Troubleshoot complex network issues across LAN/WAN environments.

Routing, Switching & Hardware

·        Configure and support routing and switching (VLANs, OSPF, BGP, STP).

·        Perform rack-and-stack of network switches, cabling, and physical network setup.

·        Work on switch upgrades, replacements, and hardware refresh activities.

Required Skills & Experience:

·        Strong hands-on experience with Palo Alto firewalls (mandatory).

·        Proven experience in enterprise network environments.

·        Solid knowledge of network hardening and security best practices.

·        Expertise in routing and switching technologies.

·        Experience with network migration projects.

·        Hands-on experience with rack and stack of switches and network equipment.

·        Ability to work 100% onsite in Santa Clara.

Preferred/Nice to Have:

·        Palo Alto certifications (PCNSA / PCNSE).

·        Experience working in large-scale enterprise or data center environments.

·        Strong documentation and communication skills.