IT Specialist III - Lead Firewall Engineer

City of Irvine, CA; California, Irvine (MO, CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a skilled Information Technology Specialist III - Lead Firewall Engineer to design and manage enterprise firewalls in diverse environments. This role involves developing security policies, monitoring threats, and ensuring optimal performance. The ideal candidate will have expertise in Palo Alto Networks firewalls and cloud security, collaborating with cross-functional teams to maintain a secure infrastructure. Join a dynamic team that values innovation and integrity, and make a significant impact in ensuring the safety and security of our digital landscape.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of IT experience with 2+ years in a lead capacity.
• Expert knowledge in Palo Alto Networks firewalls and cloud security.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage enterprise firewalls across various environments.
• Monitor logs and respond to security incidents effectively.

Skills

Palo Alto Networks firewalls

cloud security

network protocols

analytical skills

problem-solving skills

communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Palo Alto Panorama

AWS firewalls

Azure firewalls

Job description

Job Description: Information Technology Specialist III - Lead Firewall Engineer

This recruitment is open on a continuous basis until filled and will supplement an existing eligibility list that will expire on 12/5/2025. First application review occurred on 4/18/2025. Next application review will occur on 5/27/2025. If you are already on an eligibility list, please reapply to demonstrate interest and update your application information.

Understanding that people are the foundation for success, the City of Irvine offers a workplace culture that embraces Humility, Innovation, Empathy, Passion, and Integrity. Apply your passion for public service in the City of Irvine, nationally ranked for safety, educational institutions, business enterprises, and quality of life, by joining our One Irvine team!

The City is seeking a skilled Information Technology Specialist III - Lead Firewall Engineer to design, deploy, and manage enterprise firewalls across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. The role involves developing security policies, monitoring threats, and ensuring optimal performance. The ideal candidate will have expertise in Palo Alto Networks firewalls, cloud security, and network protocols, and will collaborate with cross-functional teams to maintain a secure and high-performance firewall infrastructure.

Your Impact

1. Design, deploy, and manage enterprise-grade firewalls across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
2. Develop and maintain firewall rules, policies, and configurations to ensure optimal security and performance.
3. Monitor firewall logs, alerts, and threat intelligence feeds to detect and respond to security incidents.
4. Define and enforce security policies related to access control, segmentation, VPN, and intrusion prevention.
5. Continuously review and optimize firewall policies to align with industry best practices and regulatory requirements (e.g., NIST, CIS, CJIS).
6. Work with the SOC team to investigate and remediate security events involving firewall traffic.
7. Participate in an On-Call rotation and may involve evening and weekend support as needed.
8. Ensure firewall infrastructure maintains high availability and performance.
9. Integrate firewall solutions with SIEM, SOAR, and other security tools.
10. Support internal and external security audits by providing documentation and reports.
11. Work closely with infrastructure and application teams to ensure secure connectivity and application security.
12. Stay updated on the latest firewall technologies, AI technologies, zero-trust network architectures, and evolving cyber threats.
13. Find additional information in the Information Technology Specialist III job description.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or closely related field.
• Six (6) years of information technology experience, with two (2) of those years performing highly specialized work in a lead or expert capacity on highly complex or specialized information technology systems or services in one or more functional area or in a closely related or emerging information technology field.
• Any combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Best Fit

• Expert knowledge of Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including Panorama, Prisma Access, GlobalProtect VPN, and Threat Prevention.
• Strong understanding of firewall rule management, security zones, NAT, and application-layer filtering.
• In-depth knowledge of network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, DNS, DHCP, IPSec, SSL/TLS).
• Knowledge of cloud-based firewall security, including Palo Alto Prisma Access, AWS/Azure firewalls, and hybrid cloud environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess firewall risks and implement effective solutions.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including network engineers, security analysts, cloud architects, and application engineers.
• Excellent verbal and communication skills for documenting firewall policies, writing reports, and presenting security recommendations.
• Oversee security projects from initiation to closure, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, risk management strategies, and compliance requirements.
• Supervisory experience is preferred to effectively manage and support team members.

Your Team

The Mission of the Employees of the City of Irvine is to create and maintain a community where people can live, work, and play in an environment that is safe, vibrant, and aesthetically pleasing. We are one team that exists to serve our community in the continual pursuit of a City that offers an exceptional quality of life. The City of Irvine's five values of Humility, Innovation, Empathy, Passion, and Integrity reflect the interests and needs of the community, and the level of service they expect and desire. We are One Irvine through embrace of a team-oriented approach by living our values every day.

Administrative Services is committed to sound fiscal stewardship in maximizing the City's ability to deliver high-quality services to the community. The department consists of six areas: Administration, Fiscal Services, Budget and Strategic Planning, Purchasing, Information Technology, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

The Process

The selection process will include an examination and conduct a background investigation prior to appointment which includes a Public Safety Polygraph exam. This recruitment may establish an eligibility list to fill future positions in similar and/or lower classifications within the organization.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Irvine is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We encourage you to inform Human Resources at least two business days prior to the first phase of the selection process if you have a disability that may require an accommodation.