Senior Palo Alto Firewall Engineer

CSIK Consulting is hiring a Senior Firewall Engineer to own the firewall infrastructure supporting a federal government client on a long-term IT infrastructure program. You’ll be the senior technical authority for a Palo Alto-based environment protecting a large user base across the United States - responsible for the deployment, configuration, performance, security, and availability of the firewall estate on-premises and in the cloud.

This is a hands-on senior role for someone who knows Palo Alto deeply, troubleshoots the problems that stump everyone else, and can mentor junior administrators while keeping a regulated environment secure and compliant.

What you’ll do

• Lead the installation, configuration, and maintenance of Palo Alto firewall devices and cloud firewall configurations
• Manage Palo Alto platforms and services - PAN-OS, VPN, Prisma Access, and GlobalProtect - including lifecycle support through end-of-support timelines
• Monitor and optimize firewall and network performance, ensuring efficient resource allocation and minimal downtime
• Diagnose and resolve complex firewall issues - connectivity, performance, and security
• Apply patches, updates, and security configurations to keep the environment secure and compliant
• Design, implement, and optimize security policies, objects, and rulesets while minimizing overlap and conflicts
• Maintain thorough documentation of firewall configurations, procedures, policies, and network diagrams
• Partner with other IT teams to support network security needs and integrate firewall solutions
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior network and firewall administrators

• 5+ years of hands-on firewall administration in enterprise environments
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field - or equivalent practical experience
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Public Trust
• Expertise configuring, managing, and troubleshooting enterprise firewalls - Palo Alto (primary); Cisco ASA/Firepower, Fortinet, Check Point, or Juniper SRX a plus
• Strong network security fundamentals: segmentation, VPNs (IPSec/SSL), NAT, ACLs, and IDS/IPS
• Working knowledge of routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP) and Layer 2 technologies
• Security policy design and rulebase optimization with compliance in mind
• Security monitoring and incident response - log analysis, packet captures, traffic inspection
• SIEM familiarity (Splunk, QRadar, or ELK)
• Proficiency administering Linux/Unix and Windows Server
• Experience with structured change control and documentation (ITIL or ISO)
• Basic-to-intermediate scripting (Python, PowerShell, or Bash) for automation

Nice to have (preferred)

• Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) - strongly preferred
• Cloud firewall / network security in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
• Advanced NGFW: threat prevention, URL filtering, SSL decryption, application control, User-ID
• Zero Trust and micro-segmentation experience
• NAC integration (Cisco ISE, Aruba ClearPass)
• Load balancing / proxy (F5, Citrix NetScaler, reverse proxy)
• CCNP Security, Fortinet NSE 4-7, CompTIA Security+/CySA+/CASP+, or CISSP
• Regulated-environment experience (FISMA, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, PCI-DSS, HIPAA)

Why CSIK

• Support a large user base across the United States on a mission that matters
• Long-term, multi-year program with real stability
• Certification reimbursement - we invest in your credentials (e.g., PCNSE)
• Job rotation and training for advancement within the program and the company
• A small, senior team that takes on complex problems and gives people room to make real decisions

About CSIK Consulting

CSIK Consulting is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and network systems integrator delivering network infrastructure, cybersecurity, structured cabling, managed IT, and service desk operations for commercial, data center, and government clients.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k) with matching
• Paid time off
• Professional development and certification reimbursement
• Employee referral program

Pay: Up to $135,000.00 per year, * 401(k) matching

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance