Lead Network Operations Engineer

Join a dynamic team as the Lead Network Operations Engineer, serving as the Tier 3 operational owner for a global enterprise network. In this hands-on role, you will be the highest technical escalation point for Palo Alto and Zscaler environments, driving operational excellence and stability across a complex, multi-vendor infrastructure. You will lead incident management calls with senior leadership and mentor junior analysts, positioning yourself at the core of the organization’s security operations. This is a contract-to-hire position with real growth potential., Serve as the final escalation point for high-severity incidents involving Palo Alto and Zscaler platforms

• Lead and facilitate major incident troubleshooting sessions with executive and senior leadership
• Provide operational support and advanced troubleshooting for Zscaler ZIA, ZDX, ZCX, and Palo Alto firewalls
• Conduct deep-dive root cause analysis and prepare detailed post-incident reports, recommending long-term solutions
• Independently resolve complex technical issues without reliance on engineering teams
• Support platform lifecycle activities, including code upgrades and maintenance
• Mentor and train junior and mid-level NOC analysts in advanced troubleshooting techniques
• Engage with vendors for escalated support cases and hardware issues, Location: Wayne PA or Charlotte NC (Must be able to sit onsite Tuesday - Thursday each week)Length: 6+ month Temp-to-Perm (Candidates must be able to work now and in the future without the need of sponsorship) **Please not communication skills are highly necessary in this role a acting as the highest technical escalation point within the global Network Operations Center The ideal candidate will provide advanced troubleshooting and deep subject matter expertise to ensure the stability scalability and operational excellence of a complex multi-vendor network infrastructure This is an operational support role not an architecture or design position Key Responsibilities: Act as the final escalation point for all high-severity incidents related to Palo Alto and Zscaler platforms* Lead troubleshooting efforts during major incident calls involving senior lea ZDX ZCX and Palo Alto firewalls* Perform deep-dive root cause analysis producing detailed post-incident

8+ years in enterprise network operations or engineering, supporting large-scale environments

• Expert hands-on troubleshooting with Zscaler (ZIA, ZDX, ZCX)
• Advanced operational knowledge of Palo Alto firewalls and NGFW architecture
• Proficiency with packet analysis tools (Wireshark, NetFlow/sflow)
• Strong experience with Cisco, Juniper, and F5 technologies
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; proven ability to clearly convey technical concepts to senior/executive leadership during high-pressure incidents
• Cisco CCNP certification or equivalent experience
• Eligibility to work in the US without current or future sponsorship

[Preferred Skills]

• CCIE (Routing & Switching, Enterprise, or Data Center)
• PCNSE (Palo Alto Certified Network Security Engineer)
• JNCIP/JNCIE
• F5 Certified Administrator/Engineer
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty, documentation and recommending long-term corrective actions* Resolve complex technical issues independently without reliance on engineering teams* Support lifecycle efforts such as code upgrades and platform maintena particularly in high-pressure incident scenarios Technical Skills:* Expert-level hands-on troubleshooting experience with Zscaler (ZIA ZDX ZCX)* Deep operational knowledge of Palo Alto firewalls and NGFW architecture* Proficiency with packet analysis tools such as Wireshark and NetFlow/sflow platforms* Extensive experience with network ecosystems including Cisco Juniper and F5 Certifications:* Cisco CCNP or equivalent experience Preferred Qualifications:* CCIE (Routing & Switching Enterprise or Data Center)* PCNSE (Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer)* JNCIP/JNCIE* F5 Certified Administrator or Engineer* AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty

Opportunity for contract-to-permanent employment with a leading organization

• Work in a collaborative, high-impact environment with visibility to senior leadership
• Professional growth through mentorship and leadership responsibilities
• Exposure to cutting-edge security technologies and complex, enterprise-scale networks