Role: Network Engineer Location: Santa Clara, CA (100% onsite) Duration: 6-Month Contract-to-Hire

We are looking for Palo Alto Certified individuals with Cisco devices experience. Someone, someone who can build and create a network from scratch.

Key Responsibilities: Network Infrastructure & Security Management Design, configure, and maintain Cisco routing and Meraki switching environments. Deploy and manage Fortinet and Palo Alto firewalls, including advanced security policies and SSL inspection. Implement IPS/IDS solutions for proactive threat monitoring.

Zero Trust & Micro-Segmentation Architect and deploy Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA 2.0) frameworks. Implement network micro-segmentation to minimize lateral threats and enforce granular access controls.

Cloud Networking (Azure) Manage hybrid network architectures, ensuring secure and efficient connectivity between on-prem and Azure cloud. Configure Azure networking components like VNets, VPN Gateways, ExpressRoute, and NSGs.

Network Automation & Scripting Develop Python scripts for automating network tasks and improving operational efficiency. Automate network configurations, monitoring, and incident response workflows.

DMZ, NAT & IP Scheme Management Design and support DMZ architecture and NAT configurations. Manage IP schemes, including subnetting and IP planning for scalable network design.

Documentation & Monitoring Create and maintain network flow diagrams and network SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). Utilize tools like SolarWinds for performance monitoring and proactive troubleshooting.

Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with security, IT, and cloud teams to implement integrated and secure network solutions. Communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.

Must-Have Skills & Qualifications: Certifications: CCIE (Required) or Palo Alto PCNSE (if CCIE is unavailable) 10+ years of hands-on experience in: Cisco routing/switching, Meraki wireless Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls IPS/IDS, SSL traffic inspection, and advanced firewall policies IPsec tunneling, VPN, NAT, and DMZ configurations Azure cloud and hybrid network solutions Python scripting for automation Network micro-segmentation and Zero Trust (ZTNA 2.0) Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs Proven experience with IP addressing/subnetting and IP allocation planning Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with SASE, Prisma Access, or Zscaler Hands-on experience with SD-WAN technologies Familiarity with Microsoft Intune and M365 Experience with high availability network design and disaster recovery planning Proficiency in network monitoring tools such as SolarWinds