Principal Engineer Network Forensics & Incident Response

Verizon•Southlake, TX

3d•$120,500 - $231,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The N&T Network Security team is looking for a highly motivated and experienced Principal Engineer to join the Security Defense organization. The Defense teams are responsible for owning the security lifecycle and effectiveness across the Core, Edge, and Access networks and all of the systems and network functions within N&T. In this role, you will operate with complete autonomy and zero guidance, serving as the primary technical lead for network digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) across the Network Security Defense portfolio. You will direct response efforts during major enterprise-wide security events, architect forward-looking forensic capabilities, define organizational DFIR standards, and partner across the Defense organization to continuously mature our defense posture. A successful candidate will bring proven executive influence, unmatched incident command expertise, and a history of driving automated DFIR engineering initiatives with complete independence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of relevant work experience.
Six or more years of relevant work experience in digital forensics, network security engineering, or incident response, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
Proven track record of operating with complete autonomy, driving complex technical initiatives and major incident command with zero supervision.
Deep experience with SIEM/data analysis platforms (Splunk, ELK).
Strong proficiency in forensic acquisition and analysis suites such as EnCase, FTK, Volatility, X-Ways, SANS SIFT, KAPE.
Hands-on experience authoring and operationalizing YARA/YARA-L rules for binary inspection, memory dumps, and file artifact extraction.
Expert knowledge of core network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, DNS, TLS, HTTP/S) and network telemetry formats (NetFlow, IPFIX, syslog).
Proficiency in scripting and automation using Python, PowerShell, or Bash for forensic artifact collection and processing.

Nice To Haves

Industry-recognized DFIR certifications such as GIAC Network Forensic Analyst (GNFA), GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA), GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), or Certified Computer Examiner (CCE).
Experience performing forensics on 4G/5G wireless network functions, carrier-grade IP networks, or virtualization platforms (Kubernetes, OpenStack, KVM).
Knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK framework and enterprise threat intelligence integration into forensic workflows.
Effective written, interpersonal, and verbal communication skills with the ability to summarize complex forensic findings for technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to work with diverse stakeholders including highly technical engineering teams, business owners, and executives.
Strong leadership and mentoring abilities, with experience guiding and developing teams.
Proven track record of managing and delivering results under high-pressure security incident scenarios.

Responsibilities

Autonomous DFIR Leadership: Driving complex, enterprise-wide forensic collection strategies and incident response programs independently from concept to execution across Core, Edge, and virtualized network infrastructure.
Executive Incident Command: Operating as the chief technical incident commander during major, high-consequence security events—orchestrating cross-functional response, executive communications, and rapid containment strategy with zero oversight required.
Network Telemetry Analysis: Interrogating full packet captures (PCAP), NetFlow/IPFIX, firewall logs, and router/switch artifacts to trace adversary lateral movement and data exfiltration.
Advanced Forensics & Artifact Extraction: Architecting and maintaining YARA rules and leading deep-dive forensic analyses across memory, endpoints, custom appliances, and network equipment to reverse-engineer state-sponsored APT tactics, unknown threat vectors, and complex exfiltration schemes.
Threat Hunting & Evidence Extraction: Proactively dissecting advanced persistent threat (APT) TTPs, extracting indicators of compromise (IOCs), and converting forensic findings into actionable detections.
Forensic Tooling Innovation & Automation: Architecting and scaling automated, cloud-native forensic collection pipelines, triage engines, and orchestration tooling across the enterprise to accelerate response timelines.
Playbooks & Process Maturity: Develop and refine specialized DFIR playbooks and runbooks for high-impact security incidents (e.g., state-sponsored intrusions, ransomware, supply chain compromises, and DDoS events).
Executive Reporting: Produce comprehensive, high-quality forensic investigation reports detailing attack timelines, root cause, evidence analysis, impact assessment, and technical remediation recommendations.