Senior Firewall Engineer (Palo Alto SME)

Maximus is seeking a highly skilled Firewall Engineer to support the DISA Compartmented Enterprise Services Office (CESO) program. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining firewall and network security solutions within a high-security, mission-critical environment supporting DoD and Intelligence Community customers., The ideal candidate will be a seasoned professional with extensive experience in firewall engineering, network security operations, and cloud/virtualized environments. The Firewall Engineer will play a key role in improving the security posture, performance, and reliability of enterprise firewall and load balancer systems while supporting modernization initiatives across the CESO platform., Identify and remediate firewall misconfigurations, conflicting rules, and security gaps to improve overall security posture and performance.

• Provide Tier 3 support to network operations teams for firewall and load balancer-related issues.

• Maintain hardware and software components at vendor-supported levels to ensure operational integrity.

• Support mission-critical Continuity of Operations (COOP) requirements.

• Conduct regular firewall assessments on enterprise and customer devices and develop reports with recommended improvements.

• Develop and support performance and traffic utilization reports for network devices.

• Contribute to After Action Reports (AARs) and operational documentation.

• Provide subject matter expertise for Palo Alto firewall technologies within the enterprise architecture.

• Collaborate with customer stakeholders to define objectives, roadmap strategies, and architecture improvements.

• Evaluate current technologies and processes to identify gaps and recommend future cybersecurity strategies.

• Participate in technical meetings and mission partner working groups supporting enterprise operations.

• Ensure compliance with DoD STIGs, DISA policies, and JSIG security requirements.

Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.

• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (e.g., Security+ or equivalent).

• Strong experience administering enterprise Windows Server environments.

• Deep knowledge of Windows services (Active Directory, DNS, Group Policy, etc.).

• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex infrastructure issues.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience).

• 8+ years of relevant IT systems administration experience (or Master's with 6-10 years).

• Proven experience supporting DoD or federal environments.

• Experience working in classified environments with strict security requirements.

• Experience serving as a technical SME in enterprise-scale Windows environments.

• Working knowledge of Linux/Unix systems administration. [careers.leidos.com]

• Familiarity with DISA STIGs, RMF, and other federal cybersecurity frameworks.

• Experience with system automation, scripting (PowerShell), and configuration management tools.

• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.

• Ability to operate in fast-paced, mission-driven environments with minimal supervision.

• Experience supporting hybrid or multi-OS enterprise environments.

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Maximus compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to job location, a candidate's education, training, experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value analysis including seniority and merit systems, as well as internal pay alignment. Annual salary is just one component of Maximus's total compensation package. Other rewards may include short- and long-term incentives as well as program-specific awards. Additionally, Maximus provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off. Compensation ranges may differ based on contract value but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience. An applicant's salary history will not be used in determining compensation. Maximus will comply with regulatory minimum wage rates and exempt salary thresholds in all instances.

Accommodations Maximus provides reasonable accommodations to individuals requiring assistance during any phase of the employment process due to a disability, medical condition, or physical or mental impairment. If you require assistance at any stage of the employment process-including accessing job postings, completing assessments, or participating in interviews,-please contact People Operations at applicantaccom@maximus.com.

Minimum Salary

$

116,500.00

Maximum Salary

$

165,000.00