Job Overview This is a senior-level, hands-on firewall engineering role responsible for the day-to-day operations, configuration, security, and lifecycle management of the Palo Alto Networks firewall estate across a large-scale smart platform environment. The role covers both virtualized Azure-hosted firewall infrastructure and on-premises devices, managed centrally via Panorama. The engineer acts as the primary technical authority for all firewall-related activities, working closely with infrastructure SMEs, security operations teams, network connectivity teams, and multiple stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities1. Firewall Operations & Administration Administer and maintain Palo Alto Networks virtual and physical firewalls (PA-VM series) across cloud and on-prem environments Manage firewall infrastructure via Panorama (device groups, template stacks, policy push, device registration) Monitor system health (CPU, memory, sessions, throughput) and perform proactive remediation Maintain High Availability (HA) configurations and perform failover validation Manage administrative access, controls, and secure connectivity (GUI/CLI) Perform firewall cleanup, optimization, decommissioning, and NAT rule rationalization Support migration planning and firewall lifecycle changes Manage configuration updates including naming, interfaces, and routing2. Panorama Management Administer Panorama platform, including backups and integrity checks Troubleshoot SSO/SAML, configuration export, syslog, and system issues Monitor system capacity and coordinate vendor escalations Manage certificate lifecycle and compliance Maintain log forwarding to SIEM platforms and resolve ingestion issues3. Security Policy & Configuration Implement and manage security policies, NAT rules, objects, and profiles Configure East-West traffic rules across interconnected environments Optimize rule lifecycle (unused, shadowed rules, performance tuning) Apply threat intelligence updates and IOC-based blocking Configure URL filtering, application control, and security profiles Conduct traffic analysis and anomaly investigations Ensure consistency across HA pairs and adherence to best practices4. Network Connectivity (VPN & External Integration) Design and manage Site-to-Site VPN tunnels Coordinate WAN connectivity changes and lifecycle management Configure firewall policies for external integrations Maintain IPSec documentation and support multi-party integrations Troubleshoot VPN instability, connectivity issues, and related incidents5. Web Publishing & Certificate Management Support firewall configurations for web publishing Manage SSL/TLS certificate lifecycle (procurement, renewal, deployment) Troubleshoot certificate and secure connectivity issues Track and proactively renew certificates to avoid service disruption6. Threat Advisory & Vulnerability Management Monitor security advisories and assess impact Respond to critical vulnerabilities (CVEs) and coordinate remediation Apply threat intelligence updates Support vulnerability assessments and follow-ups Investigate and respond to security incidents7. PAN-OS Lifecycle & Patch Management Maintain lifecycle roadmap and monitor EOL announcements Plan and execute upgrades and patch deployments Prepare upgrade strategies, rollback plans, and validation steps Support migration planning for aging infrastructure Manage licensing and renewal tracking8. Reporting & Documentation Produce weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports (operations, performance, security) Maintain configuration documentation and change logs Prepare post-incident reports and root cause analysis Ensure ITSM records are updated and audit-compliant9. Vendor Coordination Manage support cases with vendor TACProvide logs, diagnostics, and technical inputs Track escalation and resolution progress Implement approved fixes through change management10. Stakeholder & Change Management Follow formal change management processes (CAB approvals, risk assessment, rollback plans) Participate in integration planning with stakeholders and partners Coordinate with security and monitoring teams Support operational reviews and governance discussions
Skills & Competencies8–10 years of relevant experience Bachelors degree in IT or related field Firewall & Security Strong expertise in Palo Alto Networks NGFW (PA-VM) Experience with Panorama centralized management Deep understanding of security policies, NAT, and threat prevention Experience with HA configurations and lifecycle management Familiarity with cloud-delivered security (e.g., Prisma Access) Networking Strong knowledge of IP networking, subnetting, CIDR, routing Hands-on experience with IPSec VPNsUnderstanding of NAT, load balancing, and multi-zone architectures Security Operations Experience with SIEM integration (e.g., Microsoft Sentinel) Knowledge of vulnerability management and threat response Experience with IOC handling and traffic analysis SSL/TLS certificate management expertise Reporting & Documentation Strong reporting skills for technical and business audiences Experience with ITSM tools, audit documentation, and change tracking Ability to perform post-incident reviews and capacity planning Soft Skills Strong communication and stakeholder coordination Structured and methodical approach to operations and incident handling Ability to manage multiple priorities in complex environments Comfortable working within formal governance frameworks
Required Certifications Network Security (Minimum 1 Required) PCNSE (Mandatory) PCNSACloud / Technology (Minimum 1 Required) Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200) Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) Preferred Certifications PCSAEACE (Accredited Configuration Engineer) Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)