Benefits:

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Senior Network Security Engineer (Palo Alto Focus)

Employment Type: Long-Term Contract (Up to Five Years) Work Schedule: Full-Time, 40 Hours per Week Work Location: Hybrid (Three Days Onsite in Annapolis, Maryland; Two Days Remote) Residency Requirement: Maryland or Northern Virginia or withing 4 hours from Maryland

Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior Network Security Engineer with deep expertise in Palo Alto Networks technologies to support a large, highly regulated public sector environment. This role requires hands-on technical leadership, strong documentation skills, and the ability to operate in a mission-critical, 24x7 enterprise network.

Required Qualifications

· Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in network security engineering

· Active Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA) certification

· Active Cisco CCNA Enterprise or CCNA Security certification

· Associate degree or higher in Information Technology or a related field

· Hands-on experience with Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls

· Experience with SSL/TLS inspection, VPN technologies, and intrusion prevention systems

· Ability to report onsite in Annapolis, Maryland within four (4) hours when required

· Authorized to work in the United States (no sponsorship available)

Preferred Qualifications

· Ten (10) or more years of total enterprise networking and security experience

· Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) certification

· Cisco CCNP Security or CCNP Enterprise certification

· Experience supporting state or federal government environments

· Experience working in highly regulated or security-sensitive environments

· Knowledge of Cisco routing and switching, Network Access Control (ISE/RADIUS), and vulnerability management tools

Key Responsibilities

· Design, implement, and support secure enterprise network architectures

· Configure, optimize, and maintain Palo Alto firewall environments

· Lead or support migrations from legacy security platforms to next-generation solutions

· Troubleshoot complex network and security issues

· Develop and maintain technical documentation, diagrams, and procedures

· Collaborate with infrastructure, security, and operations teams

· Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers

· Prepare weekly status reports and participate in stakeholder meetings

Work Expectations

· Standard business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Eastern Time

· Flexibility to support after-hours work as required

· No remote work outside of the United States

· Strict adherence to security, confidentiality, and data-handling policies

Why This Role Is Attractive

This role offers long-term stability, a mature Palo Alto security environment, a hybrid work schedule after onboarding, and the opportunity to serve as a trusted senior engineer within a mission-critical public sector organization.