Role: Senior Network Engineer (Palo Alto Firewall Specialist)
Location: Santa Clara, CA – 100% Onsite (5 days/week)
Contract Duration: 4-6+ Months
Pay Rate: $80 to $90
Overview: We are seeking a hands-on Network Engineer with strong expertise in Palo Alto firewalls to support an enterprise network environment. The ideal candidate will be actively involved in network hardening, migration initiatives, and day-to-day network engineering tasks, working closely with infrastructure and security teams onsite.
Must Have: Advanced hands-on experience on Palo Alto Firewalls, Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, and Cisco Switching and Meraki. These are non-negotiable for this role.
Good to Have: Exposure to cloud networking in any capacity.
Important: We are looking for enterprise network engineers with broad multi-site experience. Data center only profiles will not be considered.
- Cisco Nexus Switches
- eBGP vs iBGP
- Setting up PaloAlto firewall
- Supporting Cisco products
- TCP flags
- Packet Capture Analysis
- BGP configurations for an enterprise edge network.
- NAT policies
Key Responsibilities:
Network & Security (Hands-on)
- Configure, manage, and troubleshoot Palo Alto firewalls (policies, NAT, VPNs, security profiles).
- Perform network hardening in line with enterprise security standards and best practices.
- Support firewall rule optimization, audits, and performance tuning.
Enterprise Network Operations
- Design, implement, and support enterprise-grade network infrastructure.
- Execute network migration projects, including cutovers and post-migration validation.
- Troubleshoot complex network issues across LAN/WAN environments.
Routing, Switching & Hardware
- Configure and support routing and switching (VLANs, OSPF, BGP, STP).
- Perform rack-and-stack of network switches, cabling, and physical network setup.
- Work on switch upgrades, replacements, and hardware refresh activities.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Strong hands-on experience with Palo Alto firewalls (mandatory).
- Proven experience in enterprise network environments.
- Solid knowledge of network hardening and security best practices.
- Expertise in routing and switching
- Experience with network migration projects.
- Hands-on experience with rack and stack of switches and network equipment.
- Ability to work 100% onsite in Santa Clara.
Preferred/Nice to Have:
- Palo Alto certifications (PCNSA / PCNSE).
- Experience working in large-scale enterprise or data center environments.
- Strong documentation and communication skills.
