Network Security Engineer - Palo Alto

We are seeking an experienced Network Security Engineer with strong hands-on expertise in Palo Alto and Cisco firewall technologies to design, implement, migrate, and support enterprise network security solutions. This role will focus on Palo Alto PAN-OS, Panorama, Strata Cloud Manager, Cisco FTD/FMC, VPN, BGP, NAT, and high-availability configurations. The engineer will support both on-premises and Azure-based environments, ensuring secure and resilient connectivity. The ideal candidate will combine deep firewall engineering expertise with strong troubleshooting, migration, and cloud networking capabilities.

In this role, you will:

· Configure, administer, and optimize Palo Alto PAN-OS, Panorama, and Strata Cloud Manager across enterprise environments.

· Configure and troubleshoot Cisco FTD firewalls using Firewall Management Center (FMC).

· Design and implement security policies, NAT rules, IPSec VPNs, BGP routing, and High Availability (HA) configurations.

· Lead firewall migration activities including discovery, configuration assessment, rule migration, validation, cutover, and post-migration support.

· Deploy and support cloud-hosted Palo Alto and Cisco firewall solutions within Microsoft Azure environments.

· Configure and troubleshoot Azure networking components including VNets, vWAN, UDRs, routing, and hybrid connectivity.

· Diagnose complex network and firewall connectivity issues involving routing, policy enforcement, VPNs, NAT, and application traffic flows.

· Review firewall policies and configurations to improve security posture, performance, resiliency, and operational stability.

· Collaborate with network, cloud, infrastructure, and security teams to deliver secure connectivity and firewall solutions.

· Support Prisma Access capabilities, cloud-delivered security, and secure remote access solutions where applicable.

· 7+ years of experience in Network Security Engineering, Firewall Engineering, or enterprise network infrastructure roles.

· Expert-level hands-on experience with Palo Alto PAN-OS, Panorama, and security policy management.

· Strong experience with Cisco FTD and FMC, including configuration, troubleshooting, and firewall administration.

· Deep knowledge of IPSec VPN, BGP, NAT, High Availability, routing, and firewall security policies.

· Proven experience performing enterprise firewall migrations, configuration validation, production cutovers, and post-migration troubleshooting.

· Strong understanding of Microsoft Azure networking, including VNet, vWAN, UDR, routing, and cloud-hosted firewall architectures.

· Solid knowledge of network security architecture, TCP/IP, routing, segmentation, VPN technologies, and enterprise connectivity.

· Experience with Strata Cloud Manager and cloud-managed Palo Alto environments is highly desirable.

· Experience with Prisma Access or similar SASE/SSE technologies is a plus.

· Palo Alto PCNSE/PCNSA, Cisco CCNP Security, Azure Network Engineer Associate, or equivalent certifications are preferred.

The annual salary for this position is between $[136,500 - 160,000] depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

· Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

· Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

· 401(k) plan and contributions

· Long-term/Short-term Disability

· Paid Parental Leave

· Employee Stock Purchase Plan