Network Engineer
Role: Network Engineer (Palo Alto Firewall Specialist)
Location: Santa Clara, CA 100% Onsite (5 days/week)
Contract Duration: 4 Months
Overview: We are seeking a highly skilled Network Engineer with strong enterprise-level experience supporting large-scale network environments. The ideal candidate must have advanced hands-on expertise in Palo Alto Firewalls, Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, Cisco switching, and Meraki technologies. This role requires a strong networking foundation along with exposure to cloud environments. Candidates with primarily data center-focused experience will not be considered.
Must Have Skills
Key Responsibilities
Network & Security (Hands-on)
Enterprise Network Operations
Routing, Switching & Wireless
Required Skills & Experience
Preferred / Nice to Have
Location: Santa Clara, CA 100% Onsite (5 days/week)
Contract Duration: 4 Months
Overview: We are seeking a highly skilled Network Engineer with strong enterprise-level experience supporting large-scale network environments. The ideal candidate must have advanced hands-on expertise in Palo Alto Firewalls, Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, Cisco switching, and Meraki technologies. This role requires a strong networking foundation along with exposure to cloud environments. Candidates with primarily data center-focused experience will not be considered.
Must Have Skills
- Advanced hands-on experience with Palo Alto Firewalls
- Strong experience with Panorama and/or Strata Cloud Manager
- Cisco switching expertise (Nexus/Catalyst)
- Strong hands-on experience with Meraki
- Enterprise network support and troubleshooting experience
- BGP configurations for enterprise edge networks
- eBGP vs iBGP knowledge
- NAT policies
- TCP flags and packet capture analysis
- Supporting Cisco products and infrastructure
- Exposure to cloud networking environments
Key Responsibilities
Network & Security (Hands-on)
- Configure, manage, and troubleshoot Palo Alto firewalls including policies, NAT, VPNs, and security profiles
- Manage and support Panorama and/or Strata Cloud Manager environments
- Perform network hardening aligned 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
- Troubleshoot complex LAN/WAN and cloud-connected network environments
- Execute network migration projects including cutovers and post-migration validation
- Collaborate with infrastructure, cloud, and security teams on enterprise initiatives
Routing, Switching & Wireless
- Configure and support Cisco switching infrastructure including VLANs, STP, OSPF, and BGP
- Support and troubleshoot Meraki environments
- Perform switch upgrades, replacements, and hardware refresh activities
- Support enterprise campus and branch network operations
Required Skills & Experience
- Strong enterprise-level networking experience in large environments
- Advanced expertise in Palo Alto Firewalls and Panorama/Strata Cloud Manager
- Strong Cisco switching and Meraki experience
- Proven experience supporting enterprise network operations rather than only data center environments
- Strong understanding of routing, switching, and network security concepts
- Exposure to cloud networking and hybrid environments
- Experience with network migration and modernization projects
Preferred / Nice to Have
- Palo Alto certifications (PCNSA / PCNSE)
- Experience in large enterprise environments
- Strong communication and documentation skills
- Exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure
