Lead Firewall Engineer / Cybersecurity Engineer

Valiant Technologies LLC; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 83,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

Valiant Technologies LLC is seeking a Lead Firewall Engineer / Cybersecurity Engineer to oversee enterprise firewall infrastructure and perimeter security, with a strong emphasis on Palo Alto Networks. The role covers leadership of security projects, collaboration across teams, and guidance on cloud and on‑prem security initiatives.

You will apply expertise in network security, firewall policies, and incident response to strengthen defenses in a government-domain environment.

Qualifications

• 11+ years of cybersecurity engineering experience in enterprise environments.
• Extensive hands-on administration of Palo Alto firewalls.
• Strong understanding of firewall policies, rule reviews, and security architecture.
• Experience with IDS/IPS, WAF, SIEM, EDR, DLP, and CASB.
• Experience supporting security operations in AWS and Azure.
• Knowledge of vulnerability management and incident response.
• Scripting in Python, PowerShell, or Bash.

Responsibilities

• Lead network and perimeter security engineering initiatives.
• Manage enterprise firewall infrastructure and security controls.
• Collaborate with infra/network/cloud teams to drive security projects.
• Prepare technical runbooks and design diagrams.
• Support cloud and on-prem security programs.

Skills

Enterprise security engineering

Palo Alto firewalls

TCP/IP & network security

VPNs/WAN-LAN

IDS/IPS, WAF, SIEM

AWS & Azure security

Vulnerability management

Scripting (Python/PowerShell/Bash)

Security standards (NIST/CIS/PCI-DSS/H

Runbooks & technical documentation

Project leadership & collaboration

Tools

Palo Alto Networks

Job description

Lead Firewall Engineer / Cybersecurity Engineer

Location:

Washington, DC

Duration:

12Months+ Extension

Domain Exposure:

Government

Client:

To Be Discussed Later

Employment Type:

W-2, 1099, C2C

Work Authorization:

US Citizen, Green Card, H-1B, OPT-EAD, CPT, Other

Job Title: Lead Firewall Engineer / Cybersecurity Engineer

Location: Washington, DC

Duration: 12 Months + Extension

Bill Rate: $73/hour (C2C)

Job Type: W-2, 1099, C2C

Client: To Be Discussed Later

Work Authorization:US Citizen, Green Card, OPT-EAD, CPT, H-1B, H4-EAD, Other

Position Overview:

Seeking an experienced Lead Firewall Engineer / Cybersecurity Engineer with extensive hands‑on experience in enterprise firewall administration, particularly Palo Alto Networks. The candidate will lead network and perimeter security engineering, manage enterprise firewall infrastructure, strengthen security controls, and support cloud and enterprise cybersecurity initiatives.

Key Required Skills:

• 11+ years of cybersecurity engineering experience, with strong focus on network and firewall security.
• Extensive hands‑on experience administering and managing Palo Alto Networks firewalls in large enterprise environments.
• Strong knowledge of firewall policies, rule reviews, configuration changes, security architecture, and troubleshooting.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, routing, switching, VPNs, WAN/LAN, and network security architecture.
• Experience with IDS/IPS, Web Application Firewalls (WAF), SIEM, EDR, DLP, and CASB.
• Experience supporting security operations across AWS and Microsoft Azure environments.
• Knowledge of vulnerability management, security risk assessments, threat analysis, and incident response.
• Scripting and automation experience using Python, PowerShell, or Bash.
• Strong knowledge of NIST, CIS Controls, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001 security standards.
• Experience preparing security architecture diagrams, technical documentation, operational procedures, and runbooks.
• Ability to lead security projects, collaborate with infrastructure/network/cloud teams, and provide technical guidance.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications such as CISSP, PCNSE, CCNP Security, GIAC, CEH, or Security+.
• Experience supporting SOC operations, threat hunting, root cause analysis, and forensic investigations.
• Knowledge of Zero Trust architecture and cloud‑native security tools.
• Experience with security automation and orchestration.
• Master's degree in Cybersecurity, IT, or a related discipline.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship/ immigration status, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.