Network Engineer

Thales USA, Inc.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Life insurance

Job summary

Thales USA, Inc. in Irvine, CA, seeks a Network Principal to oversee all network infrastructure operations. The role covers firewalls, VPN, NAC, and security policy in a hybrid environment, with collaboration across engineering and security teams.

You will contribute to end-to-end security architectures and engage in on-call incident response. The candidate will bring 5-8+ years of related experience, Palo Alto firewall mastery, and security certifications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 5-8+ years of relevant work experience or a Master’s with 4+ years, or equivalent.
• 3+ years working with Palo Alto Firewall and at least one vendor certification (PCNSA/PCNSE, CCNA/CCNP Security, JNCIA-SEC, etc.).
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership, plus strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Handle tickets via ServiceNow and read architecture diagrams to implement rules.
• Manage Firewalls, VPN connectivity, NAC, and security policies across on-site, enterprise and cloud networks.
• Define network security requirements and collaborate with development teams on mitigations.
• Participate in proof-of-concept testing and maintain network security standards and workflows.
• Provide 24/7 on-call support for infrastructure incidents and escalation.

Skills

Palo Alto Firewall

Network Security Certifications

VPN & Remote Access

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Cisco switches

Cisco Secure Client VPN

Fortinet firewalls

Cisco ISE

Job description

Location: Irvine, United States of America

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

Irvine, CA. (USA), Hybrid

Position Summary

Thales has a vacancy for a Network Principal who will be responsible for all aspects of Network infrastructure operations. May be a SME in some domains, but is expected to have full professional knowledge of network infrastructure concepts and company objectives to resolve a wide range of issues in effective and sometimes creative ways, in all of the following domains. As an advanced engineer, you are expected to do these things with little technical direction and with only general guidance on new assignments.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Handle tickets in ServiceNow, read architecture diagrams, and construct rules based on those diagrams.
• Firewalls and network filters, in both Enterprise, Stores, and cloud networks. Intrusion Prevention policies
• Networking Protocols/Concepts (Routing(OSPF, BGP), VLAN, Sub-netting, Load balancing, TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, TLS, SSH)
• Site-to-site and remote-access VPN connectivity.
• Network Access Control.
• Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (to include multi-factor authentication). Web access proxy servers and URL filtering
• Network Security policy creation, exception documentation and approval.
• Provide suggestions to team lead/manager in creating your professional development and training plan.
• Work on projects assigned to you, in effort to advance partnership opportunities between Network Security team and other business areas.
• Work with senior engineers to define network security requirements for current and future state end-to-end architectures and platforms to advance security controls and the security posture of the business.
• Assist senior engineers in collaborating with development and engineering teams to prioritize security risks, provide mitigation or remediation recommendations, and implement compensating controls.
• Assist in performing proof-of-concept testing for network security solutions under consideration for purchase and implementation.
• Assist in developing and maintaining network security policies, standards, processes and workflows.
• Provide 7/24 On-Call support for infrastructure related service incidents and follow internal management escalation procedures when necessary (team rotation).

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study with a minimum of 5-8+ years of relevant work experience or a Master’s degree in a related field of study with 4+ years of relevant work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Must have: 3+ Years working with Palo Alto Firewall.
• At least one entry-level vendor certification (with non-entry-level preferred) in the Network Security arena (Palo Alto PCNSA/PCNSE preferred, Cisco CCNA/CCNP Security, Juniper JNCIA-SEC/JNCIS-SEC, etc.) or equivalent experience

• Excellent interpersonal & leadership skills
• Excellent oral & written communication skills, people skills, planning, implementation and troubleshooting skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Skills and Abilities:

• Extensive experience working with Cisco switches, Cisco Secure Client VPN, Fortinet firewalls, Cisco ISE
• ITIL experience and certifications

Physical Demands

• Some limited physical demands may present themselves while navigating server rooms and providing network support on site
• Able to lift and carry items up to 50 lbs.

Special Position Requirements

Schedule: Core business hours are Monday to Friday, between 9:30-3:00pm. Specific work schedule and expected hours of work will be discussed. Some weekend and evening work may be required and will be dependent on projects and customer requirements.

• Physical Environment: Access will be required in Ottawa server room (secure zone – NATO Secret clearance required). Some limited physical demands may present themselves while navigating server rooms and providing network support on site
• Able to lift and carry items up to 50 lbs.

Pay Transparency

The anticipated Total Target Compensation (TTC), inclusive of annual salary and bonus eligibility, for this role is $110k-150k CAD Annual. The Company reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, provincial, and federal laws.

AI

We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.

What We Offer

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance.
• Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off.
• Company provided Life Insurance.

Why Join Us?

Say HI and learn more about working at Thales click here

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with (a) criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances.

Thales champions inclusion and we believe diversity strengthens the fabric of our culture. Thales is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at [e-mail].

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between

Total Target Cash (TTC) 95,880.75 - 170,961.00 USD Annual

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.

For Internal candidate, if you need more information, please raise HR request through MyThales.

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance
• Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period
• Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off
• Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program