Network Operations Firewall Engineer ( L2/ L3 )

Network Operations Firewall Engineer (L2/L3)

Client: Government Healthcare / Insurance Organization

Location: 100% Remote

Hours: CST

Duration: 6-Month Contract

Position Summary

We are seeking a Network Operations Firewall Engineer (L2/L3) to support a large government healthcare and insurance client. This role is responsible for providing advanced operational support for enterprise firewall environments, troubleshooting network security incidents, implementing firewall changes, and maintaining secure connectivity across complex network infrastructures.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience supporting Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate firewalls in a fast-paced Network Operations Center (NOC) environment and possess strong troubleshooting skills across networking and security technologies.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in Network Operations, Network Security, or Firewall Administration.
• Hands-on experience supporting and troubleshooting Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate firewalls in enterprise environments.
• Experience resolving firewall-related incidents, service requests, access issues, VPN connectivity problems, NAT configurations, and security policy changes.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP networking, addressing, subnetting, and routing fundamentals.
• Experience analyzing firewall logs, traffic flows, and connectivity issues to identify root causes and implement resolutions.
• Knowledge of routing and network protocols including BGP, eBGP, EIGRP, VPN, SNMP, SSH, and MPLS.
• Working knowledge of Cisco networking technologies including routers, switches, wireless infrastructure, ACS, and ISE.
• Experience working within ITIL-based operational frameworks including Incident, Change, Problem, and Request Management.
• Ability to support production environments and participate in on-call or escalation processes as required.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with internal teams and external customers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) environments.
• Familiarity with healthcare and government compliance frameworks including DISA STIG, HIPAA, MARS-E, and CMS ARS.
• Experience participating in security audits and providing documentation, evidence of controls, and configuration reviews.
• Experience with network monitoring and alerting tools such as SolarWinds, LogicMonitor, SevOne, or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of automation and scripting for network operations and process improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 operational support for enterprise firewall and network environments.
• Troubleshoot and resolve firewall incidents involving Palo Alto and FortiGate technologies.
• Implement, validate, and document firewall rule changes, NAT configurations, VPN changes, and security policy updates through approved change management processes.
• Monitor network and firewall performance, investigate alerts, and restore service during incidents.
• Conduct root cause analysis for recurring issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Collaborate with network, security, engineering, and application teams to resolve complex connectivity and security challenges.
• Participate in Incident Management, Change Management, Request Fulfillment, Event Management, and Problem Management activities.
• Maintain accurate documentation of configurations, procedures, and operational processes.
• Support compliance, audit, and regulatory requirements for healthcare and government environments.
• Contribute to process improvements, operational efficiency initiatives, and network automation efforts.
• Provide technical recommendations to improve network security, reliability, and performance.

The anticipated hourly rate range for this position is ($45/hr-50/hr). Actual hourly rate will be based on a variety of factors including relevant experience, knowledge, skills and other factors permitted by law. A range of medical, dental, retirement and/or other benefits are available after a waiting period.