Sr Network Security Engineer

the Opportunity•Reston, VA

15d•Onsite

About The Position

Our client, a mission-focused defense program, is adding a capable firewall engineer to an on-site team based in Reston, VA. In this seat you'll stand up and run a sophisticated firewall estate — PA-1400, PA-3400, and PA-5500 PQC-capable hardware administered through a Panorama M-700 carrying 1,000 device licenses, alongside VM Series instances powered by VM Flex Credits. Working shoulder to shoulder with the networking and security groups, you'll migrate, tune, and sustain a next-generation firewall footprint supporting a mission-critical DoD environment. If deep hands-on Palo Alto Networks expertise and enterprise-scale security are where you do your best work, we'd like to hear from you. About the Opportunity You'll own the deployment and ongoing care of a demanding, multi-appliance firewall environment inside a classified defense setting — migrating off legacy platforms, optimizing policy, and keeping a next-generation footprint healthy and audit-ready.

Requirements

Roughly seven to nine years spanning networking and security technologies
At least five years across routing and switching fundamentals plus BGP, VXLAN, and SD-WAN
Three-plus years directing security initiatives inside sizable, intricate infrastructures
Deep practical command of the vendor's product family, covering the VM Series alongside the PA-3400 Series, PA-5500 Series, and PA-7000 Series
Advanced familiarity operating Panorama together with log collectors
Working command of GlobalProtect and NGFW
Hands-on depth setting up, tuning, and running enterprise-grade firewall hardware
Seasoned across LAN, WAN, and broader internetworking disciplines
Firm grasp of application-layer behavior and internet protocols
Polished writing and speaking skills, at ease briefing both technical colleagues and senior leadership
Capacity to juggle concurrent workstreams while staying composed under deadline pressure
Undergraduate degree in MIS, Computer Science, Business, or a comparable blend of schooling and field experience
Full-time, fully on-site presence is mandatory
Candidates must live within commuting range of Reston, VA or be open to relocating
An active TS-SCI with CI Polygraph must already be in place at the time of application
Security+ is the baseline credential; SecurityX or CASP+ is accepted in its place
Sharp written and spoken communication paired with a careful eye for detail
Comfortable operating both independently and as part of a team on mission-driven work

Nice To Haves

Prior work on classified networks with exposure to defense security frameworks
Track record standing up sizable firewall migrations across government or enterprise programs
Direct time on PQC-capable units such as the PA-1400 and PA-5500
CNSE certification nice to have
CISSP, CCNA, or JNCIE-SEC are viewed favorably as additional credentials
Availability to travel when the assignment calls for it

Responsibilities

Stand up, tune, and sustain the security operating stack within a demanding defense setting
Lead the transition of firewall rulesets and objects off legacy platforms and onto current-generation appliances
Roll out and administer the PA-3400, PA-5500, PA-1400, and PA-7000 hardware lines through a centralized Panorama M-700 console
Oversee virtualized firewall instances built on VM Series, drawing against VM Flex Credits for capacity
Build staging environments, confirm migration integrity, and schedule the move into production
Advise on software version upgrades and help drive the creation of fresh threat and application signatures
Open and push support tickets through the vendor's TAC channel toward resolution
Map each stakeholder's infrastructure, needs, and forward-looking security plans, then match solutions accordingly
Keep clear lines of communication open with clients, account teams, engineering, and fellow support staff
Partner with the networking and security groups to build trust among the units affected by planned changes