Senior Firewall Administrator

Systems Engineering Solutions Corporation•Alexandria, VA

About The Position

The Senior Firewall Administrator manages and maintains the organization’s Palo Alto-based firewall infrastructure, including deployment, configuration, support, performance, security, and availability. The role covers Palo Alto firewall devices and cloud firewall configurations, as well as PAN-OS, VPN, Prisma Access, and GlobalProtect platforms and services, with lifecycle support through end-of-support timelines. The position is part of IT infrastructure support services spanning help desk, end-user support, and server, platform, and network infrastructure support and engineering. Services include technical assistance for hardware, software, and network issues; incident and problem resolution; service request management; infrastructure monitoring and support; hardware and software lifecycle support; and escalation management across support tiers. The administrator diagnoses complex firewall connectivity, performance, and security issues; applies patches, updates, and security configurations; maintains documentation; and works with other IT teams to integrate firewall solutions and support network security needs. The role also provides guidance and mentorship to junior network and firewall administrators and other IT staff.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related field.
Public trust security clearance.
Expertise configuring, managing, and troubleshooting enterprise firewalls, such as Palo Alto, Cisco ASA/Firepower, Fortinet, Check Point, or Juniper SRX.
Strong understanding of network security principles, including segmentation, IPSec/SSL VPNs, NAT, ACLs, and IDS/IPS.
Working knowledge of routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP, and Layer 2 technologies.
Ability to design, implement, and optimize security policies, objects, and rulesets while maintaining compliance and minimizing overlap or conflicts.
Experience with log analysis, packet captures, and network traffic inspection for threat identification and remediation.
Familiarity with SIEM tools such as Splunk, QRadar, or ELK for centralized event monitoring and alert correlation.
Proficiency administering Linux/Unix and Windows Server environments.
Experience following structured change-control processes and documenting work in ITIL or ISO environments.
Basic to intermediate scripting skills in Python, PowerShell, or Bash for configuration or monitoring automation.
Ability to create and maintain detailed network diagrams, firewall rule documentation, and standard operating procedures.

Nice To Haves

Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) certification.
Experience with cloud firewalls and network security configurations in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Advanced knowledge of next-generation firewall technologies, including threat prevention, URL filtering, SSL decryption, application control, and user-ID mapping.
Understanding of zero trust principles and micro-segmentation strategies.
Experience integrating firewalls with network access control solutions such as Cisco ISE or Aruba ClearPass.
Familiarity with F5, Citrix NetScaler, or reverse proxy systems.
Certifications such as PCNSE, CCNP Security, Fortinet NSE 4–7, CompTIA Security+, CySA+, CASP+, CISSP, or equivalent.
Understanding of compliance requirements in regulated environments, including FISMA, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, PCI-DSS, or HIPAA.

Responsibilities

Manage and maintain the organization's Palo Alto firewall infrastructure.
Lead installation, configuration, and maintenance of Palo Alto firewall devices and cloud firewall configurations.
Manage Palo Alto platforms and services, including PAN-OS, VPN, Prisma Access, and GlobalProtect, and provide lifecycle support through end-of-support timelines.
Monitor and optimize network and firewall performance to support efficient resource allocation and minimize downtime.
Diagnose and resolve complex firewall connectivity, performance, and security issues.
Apply patches, updates, and security configurations to Palo Alto devices.
Maintain documentation of firewall configurations, procedures, policies, network diagrams, firewall rules, and standard operating procedures.
Work with other IT teams to support network security needs and integrate firewall solutions with other systems.
Provide guidance and mentorship to junior network and firewall administrators and other IT staff.
Support IT infrastructure services, including technical assistance, incident and problem resolution, service request management, infrastructure monitoring, lifecycle support, and escalation management across support tiers.