> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/4670270-senior-cybersecurity-engineer-network-security-zero-trust-automation](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/4670270-senior-cybersecurity-engineer-network-security-zero-trust-automation). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Cybersecurity Engineer - Network Security, Zero Trust & Automation - **Company:** General Dynamics Information Technology - **Location:** Fairfax, VA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $149,469 - $184,000 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, User Authentication, Border Gateway Protocol, Cloud Computing, Cloud Computing Security, Configuration Management, Cyber Security, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, Network Address Translation, Domain Name System (DNS), Data Flow Control, Identity and Access Management, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Information Systems Security Architecture Professional, JSON, Python (Programming Language), Network Security, Routing, Packet Analyzer, Public Key Infrastructure, Remote Access Technology, Zero Trust Network Access, Runbook, Web Application Security, Security Information and Event Management, TCP/IP, Software Vulnerability Management, Workflow Management Systems, Data Logging, Computer Networking Systems, Transport Layer Security, System Availability, Cyber Threat Analysis, Firewalls (Computer Science), Information Technology, Palo Alto Networks, Data Management, Api Design, Restful APIs, Webhooks, Security Orchestration, Automation & Response - **Published:** November 11, 2026 - **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/9B97A31EA56643578E1C3818D419C304/job/ ## About the Role Cybersecurity,Firewalls,Network Infrastructures,Network Security,Troubleshooting Certifications: Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) | Palo Alto Networks - Palo Alto Networks Experience: 7 + years of related experience, * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, IT, Engineering, or related STEM discipline and 10+ years of relevant experience; allowable substitutions may apply per contractual labor-category requirements. * Significant hands-on experience engineering and troubleshooting enterprise next-generation firewalls in complex production environments. * Strong experience with firewall policy lifecycle management, NAT, zones, segmentation, logging, optimization, and change control. * Strong network-engineering fundamentals including TCP/IP, routing, BGP, DNS, DHCP, NAT, VPN, TLS/SSL, PKI/certificates, packet analysis, and high availability. * Experience with Zero Trust/SASE technologies and working knowledge of NIST SP 800-207 or comparable Zero Trust principles. * Working knowledge of SOAR, security automation, APIs, workflow orchestration, and security-platform integration. Python, REST API, JSON, webhooks, or similar experience is strongly preferred. * Experience integrating enterprise security platforms and telemetry is strongly preferred. * Experience with greenfield deployments, migrations, environment separation, or independently managed security environments is strongly preferred. * Palo Alto Networks or comparable enterprise network-security and SASE experience is strongly preferred, with direct Palo Alto experience highly desirable. * Federal, government, or highly regulated enterprise experience is preferred. * Strong analytical, troubleshooting, documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. * Must be able to support planned maintenance and change windows, including occasional after-hours activities, and provide senior technical support for priority incidents or service-impacting security-platform issues when required. * Must be able to obtain and maintain the required federal suitability determination/background investigation for the position. Preferred Certifications * Relevant professional certifications in network security, Zero Trust/SASE, cybersecurity architecture, security automation, cloud security, or network engineering are preferred. ## Description As a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer supporting the Zero Trust and Security Engineering team, you will provide senior-level technical expertise for the design, implementation, integration, operation, sustainment, and modernization of enterprise cybersecurity platforms supporting a large, complex federal environment. Responsibilities * Provide hands-on engineering for next-generation firewalls, secure remote access, segmentation, and related network-security services. * Engineer, administer, troubleshoot, optimize, and sustain enterprise firewall technologies. Palo Alto Networks NGFW, PAN-OS, Panorama, Prisma Access, Strata Cloud, or comparable technologies are strongly preferred. * Manage the firewall policy lifecycle, including rules, objects, NAT, security profiles, recertification, cyber hygiene, optimization, and removal of obsolete or overly permissive policies. * Lead firewall and security-platform changes, including impact analysis, testing, change control, rollback, validation, and documentation. * Support Zero Trust and SASE capabilities including ZTNA, Secure Web Gateway, Firewall-as-a-Service, secure remote access, segmentation, device posture, and policy enforcement. * Troubleshoot complex issues involving routing, NAT, VPN, DNS, authentication, PKI/certificates, TLS/SSL inspection, logging, performance, and high availability. * Support platform deployments, upgrades, patching, hardening, configuration management, vendor escalation, and platform-specific vulnerability remediation. * Engineer and support SOAR, security automation, workflow orchestration, and API-based integrations. * Develop automation for alert enrichment, IOC analysis/blocking, incident triage, ticket creation, containment, remediation, policy changes, and reporting using REST APIs, Python, or comparable technologies. * Integrate security capabilities and telemetry across SIEM/XDR, endpoint, identity, ITSM, vulnerability management, DLP, NAC, threat intelligence, cloud, and enterprise logging/data platforms. * Evaluate AI-assisted security operations that improve detection, investigation, response, administration, and analyst workflows while maintaining appropriate human validation and guardrails. * Support greenfield deployments, migrations, environment separation, coexistence, testing, and transition to operations. * Collaborate with Security Operations, network engineering, IAM/ICAM, endpoint, NAC, vulnerability management, cloud, and infrastructure teams; serve as a senior technical escalation point as needed. * Develop architecture diagrams, SOPs, implementation/test plans, runbooks, troubleshooting guides, configuration baselines, and as-built documentation. * Support security assessments, authorization activities, audits, evidence collection, and compliance requirements. * Develop and maintain high-quality technical documentation, including architecture and data-flow diagrams, engineering standards, SOPs, implementation plans, test plans, validation procedures, operational runbooks, troubleshooting guides, configuration baselines, and change documentation. * Ensure security-platform configurations and engineering changes align with applicable organizational cybersecurity policies, technical standards, approved architectures, and change-management requirements. * May serve as a technical or project lead for assigned initiatives. This position does not require direct personnel-management responsibilities.