Network Security Engineer Lead

ucf; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Central Florida is seeking a Network Security Engineer IV (Lead) to serve as a senior technical leader within the Information Security organization. The role leads architecture, design, and operation of enterprise network security services across a large technology environment.

You will mentor engineers, drive modernization initiatives, and provide escalation support for complex security incidents while collaborating with multiple IT teams to deliver secure, resilient services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of relevant experience in security or networking.
• Expertise in network security architecture and engineering practices.
• Experience with firewalls, VPNs, 802.1X, and secure remote access.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of enterprise network security technologies.
• Establish engineering standards and technical requirements for network security services.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to engineers.
• Lead complex projects and modernization initiatives.
• Translate security requirements into technical designs and operation models.
• Collaborate with multiple IT teams to deliver secure, resilient services.

Skills

Network security

Zero Trust

Incident response

On-call rotation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Firewall

Job description

University Operations:

The University Operations division at UCF is committed to creating a supportive and welcoming environment for our faculty, staff, students, and the broader community. We take pride in delivering exceptional service, sharing our expertise, and upholding the highest standards to ensure a world‑class campus experience.

Visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more.

The Opportunity:

UCF is seeking a Network Security Engineer IV (Lead) to serve as a senior technical leader within the University's Information Security organization. This position helps shape, secure, and continuously improve enterprise network security services supporting a large and complex technology environment. The role leads the architecture, design, implementation, operation, and lifecycle management of critical security capabilities, including network access control, authentication and authorization, firewalls, secure remote access, network segmentation, Zero Trust, intrusion prevention, DNS security, certificates, monitoring, and security visibility. It also serves as a senior escalation resource for complex security and operational issues, major incidents, advanced troubleshooting, and root‑cause analysis.

As a technical lead, the position establishes security architecture, engineering standards, configuration baselines, and technical practices, while leading complex projects and modernization initiatives. The role provides technical direction and mentorship to engineers and collaborates across Network Operations, Security Operations, Network Engineering, Infrastructure, Cloud Services, and other technology teams to deliver secure, resilient, and reliable enterprise services. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role for an experienced network security engineer who enjoys solving difficult problems, influencing architecture and engineering direction, mentoring others, and driving meaningful improvements across a complex technology environment. The position is classified as a lead role and does not have direct reports.

Responsibilities:

Network Security Engineering & Architecture

Lead the design, implementation, administration, and optimization of enterprise network security technologies and services.

Architect and support security solutions, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, secure remote access, DNS security, certificates, and network segmentation.

Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend enhancements to improve security, performance, and operational efficiency.

Establish engineering standards, best practices, and technical requirements for network security services.

Network Access Control & Zero Trust

Serve as the technical lead for network access control and identity‑based security services.

Design and support solutions utilizing 802.1X, RADIUS, TACACS+, certificate‑based authentication, device profiling, and policy enforcement.

Implement and maintain Zero Trust and micro‑segmentation strategies to strengthen enterprise security.

Integrate authentication and authorization services with identity management, wireless, VPN, cloud, and endpoint platforms.

Operations & Service Reliability

Ensure the availability, reliability, and performance of critical network security services.

Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues impacting security infrastructure and services.

Support monitoring, logging, alerting, dashboards, reporting, and security visibility initiatives.

Collaborate with the Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center to improve service reliability and threat detection capabilities.

Participate in an on‑call rotation and provide after‑hours support for critical incidents and service disruptions.

Incident Response & Problem Management

Serve as a senior escalation resource for major incidents involving network security technologies and services.

Lead technical troubleshooting and restoration efforts during service‑impacting events.

Conduct root‑cause analysis and develop corrective actions to improve long‑term service stability and resilience.

Technical Leadership & Project Delivery

Lead the technical execution of complex projects involving network security infrastructure and services.

Translate business and security requirements into technical designs, implementation plans, and operational support models.

Provide mentorship, technical guidance, and engineering oversight to team members and stakeholders.

Collaborate with internal teams, vendors, and partners to successfully deliver strategic technology initiatives.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

Develop and maintain technical documentation, architecture diagrams, configuration standards, and operational procedures.

Identify opportunities for automation, modernization, and process improvements.

Support compliance, disaster recovery, business continuity, and other security‑related initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 5 years of relevant experience; or H