[Hiring] Senior Network Firewall Engineer / Architect @ECI

Role Description

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Senior Network Firewall Engineer / Architect to provide dedicated support for a complex, global client network. The role is heavily focused on firewall administration, troubleshooting, security policy management, VPN connectivity, and firewall platform standardization.

• Perform hands-on administration and troubleshooting of Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet FortiGate firewalls.
• Create, review, modify, and troubleshoot firewall security policies, access permissions, rules, objects, and whitelisting requests.
• Manage and troubleshoot site-to-site VPN tunnels and remote-access VPN services, including Palo Alto GlobalProtect and Fortinet FortiClient.
• Use Palo Alto Panorama and Fortinet management tooling to manage devices, configurations, policies, and operational changes across the environment.
• Assess existing firewall configurations for security gaps, inconsistencies, technical debt, and deviations from standards or best practices.
• Support the gradual migration and standardization of firewall platforms, including movement from Fortinet toward Palo Alto where approved and funded.
• Provide dedicated technical support and direct communication for a specific global client while collaborating with ECI network services, implementation, NOC, compliance, and principal engineering teams.
• Support firewall and network integration for newly acquired offices and other merger-and-acquisition activity.
• Plan and execute upgrades, technology refreshes, patching, configuration changes, and remediation activities through established change-management processes.
• Troubleshoot network and application connectivity issues across firewalls, routing, switching, wireless, SD-WAN, circuits, DNS, and adjacent infrastructure.
• Review traffic flows, logs, packet captures, latency, jitter, packet loss, utilization, and application policies to isolate performance or connectivity problems.
• Produce and maintain accurate technical documentation, including network diagrams, firewall standards, rule documentation, implementation plans, validation steps, rollback plans, and client-facing recommendations.
• Help assess inherited client environments, verify how systems are configured, and recommend practical remediation and modernization priorities.

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on experience administering and troubleshooting enterprise firewalls in production environments.
• Strong practical experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including policy and rule management, VPN troubleshooting, and Panorama.
• Hands-on experience with Fortinet FortiGate firewalls and related VPN or management technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage firewall permissions, security policies, rule bases, whitelisting, objects, and connectivity requirements.
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting site-to-site VPNs and remote-access VPN solutions.
• Strong enterprise networking fundamentals across TCP/IP, routing, switching, VLANs, LAN/WAN, wireless, DNS, and packet flow analysis.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex connectivity and performance issues using logs, packet captures, traffic analysis, device health data, and systematic fault isolation.
• Experience working in mixed-vendor, poorly standardized, or inherited network environments.
• Experience preparing and executing controlled infrastructure changes, including implementation, validation, rollback, peer review, and stakeholder coordination.
• Ability to communicate directly with client stakeholders, explain technical findings clearly, and operate with limited day-to-day supervision.
• Strong technical documentation, prioritization, analytical, and collaboration skills.

Requirements

• Advanced Palo Alto Networks experience, certifications, or deep operational expertise.
• Experience migrating firewalls from Fortinet to Palo Alto.
• Experience with Fortinet SD-WAN and potential transition planning toward Palo Alto SD-WAN.
• Experience standardizing office networks on Cisco Meraki switching and wireless.
• Experience with Cisco ISE, 802.1X, network access control, or related security initiatives.
• Experience supporting global clients, acquisitions, carve-outs, and newly integrated office locations.
• Previous managed services, consulting, or customer-facing infrastructure experience.
• Relevant advanced networking or security certifications are preferred but not required.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package ranging from $125,000 to $135,000 annually (DOE & location), plus variable.
• Flexible PTO.
• Health benefit eligibility the first of the month.
• Life insurance.
• Pet insurance.
• 401K and more.

Work Arrangement and Engagement Type

• Remote role with Central Time Zone availability preferred.
• Support will be provided primarily through remote access for sites in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Mexico.
• The role is initially being considered as a contract-to-hire engagement, with potential conversion to a permanent position based on performance and mutual interest.

Interview Focus

• Hands-on depth with Palo Alto and Fortinet firewall administration.
• Panorama experience and centralized firewall management.
• Firewall permissions, policies, rules, objects, NAT, and whitelisting.
• Site-to-site and client VPN troubleshooting, including GlobalProtect and FortiClient.
• Practical troubleshooting scenarios involving traffic flow, logs, packet captures, and connectivity.
• Ability to document changes, communicate with clients, and operate in a mixed-vendor global environment.