Senior Firewall Engineer

Leidos; Virginia (IL); Hybrid; USD 108,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a senior security/engineering leader to design, integrate, and implement enterprise firewall and network security solutions for a NATO-secured private cloud. You will drive automation, IaC, and policy management across ECS, CPS, IaaS, and SMC.

Role involves collaboration with cybersecurity, networking, and DevOps teams, with about 25% travel to The Hague and other NATO locations to support deployment, testing, and customer acceptance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related discipline with 8-12 years of relevant experience, or Master's degree with 6-10 years of relevant experience.
• Active NATO Secret clearance (or higher).
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing enterprise firewall and network security solutions.
• Strong experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including policy management, threat prevention, and security architecture.
• Experience with VMware NSX Distributed Firewall, Cisco security technologies, or equivalent enterprise network security platforms.
• Strong understanding of enterprise security architecture, defence-in-depth principles, network segmentation, identity and access management, and secure systems design.
• Experience integrating firewall solutions into VMware private cloud, SDN, or hybrid cloud environments.
• Extensive experience with implementing security automation using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Ansible, Terraform, Python, or similar technologies.
• Strong understanding of enterprise networking, routing, switching, VPNs, PKI, and enterprise cybersecurity practices.
• Experience operating within Agile, SAFe, or DevSecOps delivery frameworks.
• Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder engagement, and technical collaboration skills.
• Experience supporting defence, government, or highly regulated development environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, automation, integration, and hands-on implementation of enterprise firewall and network security solutions supporting private cloud SDDC modernization initiatives.
• Design and implement secure firewall architectures supporting ECS, CPS, IaaS, DevOps platforms, and SMC.
• Develop and implement network segmentation strategies using Palo Alto Networks, VMware NSX Distributed Firewall, Cisco security technologies, or equivalent enterprise security platforms.
• Design and integrate enterprise security controls, micro-segmentation, identity-based access controls, and defence-in-depth principles supporting NATO ON security requirements.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, networking, virtualization, and infrastructure engineering teams to integrate enterprise security services into platform solutions.
• Develop security automation using IaC, Ansible, Terraform, APIs, or similar to standardize firewall configuration and policy management.
• Integrate COTS security solutions into secure enterprise environments while ensuring compliance with NATO security policies and customer architecture.
• Develop and maintain firewall architectures, security designs, implementation plans, configuration standards, and engineering documentation.
• Participate in Agile development activities including sprint planning, technical reviews, security architecture reviews, and cross-functional engineering collaboration.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance on enterprise firewall engineering, network security, defence-in-depth, and secure-by-design practices.
• Travel to NATO sites to install, configure, integrate, validate, and troubleshoot enterprise firewall and network security solutions while supporting deployment, testing, and acceptance.
• Support cybersecurity planning, infrastructure modernization initiatives, security accreditation activities, and proposal development.

Skills

NATO security

Firewall design

Security architecture

IaC automation

Ansible

Terraform

Python

Agile/DevSecOps

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/Engineering

Master's degree in a related field

Tools

Palo Alto Networks firewalls

VMware NSX Distributed Firewall

Cisco security technologies

F5 ADC/WAF

Job description

Description

Join the Leidos Homeland Sector and contribute to a high-impact international program delivering secure, next-generation private cloud capabilities within a NATO-secured environment. This senior-level role offers the opportunity to apply deep technical expertise to the design, integration, and hands-on implementation of enterprise backup, recovery, and cyber resilience solutions supporting a Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC).

You will help deliver secure, resilient, and automated data protection capabilities across Enterprise Core Services (ECS), Client Provisioning Services (CPS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Service Management Control (SMC). Working closely with infrastructure, virtualization, cybersecurity, and DevOps teams, you will support the full delivery lifecycle—from solution design and integration through site deployment, testing, disaster recovery validation, and customer acceptance.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to work directly with international customers and technical partners, with approximately 25% travel to The Hague, Netherlands, and other NATO locations as needed to support solution integration, implementation, testing, and customer acceptance. It is an ideal opportunity for a senior engineering leader interested in advancing mission-critical cloud capabilities while gaining valuable international program experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, automation, integration, and hands-on implementation of enterprise firewall and network security solutions supporting private cloud SDDC modernization initiatives.
• Design and implement secure firewall architectures supporting Enterprise Core Services (ECS), Client Provisioning Services (CPS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), DevOps platforms, and Service Management Control (SMC).
• Develop and implement network segmentation strategies using Palo Alto Networks, VMware NSX Distributed Firewall, Cisco security technologies, or equivalent enterprise security platforms.
• Design and integrate enterprise security controls, micro-segmentation, identity-based access controls, and defence-in-depth principles supporting NATO Operational Network (ON) security requirements.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, networking, virtualization, and infrastructure engineering teams to integrate enterprise security services into platform solutions.
• Develop security automation using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Ansible, Terraform, APIs, or similar automation technologies to standardize firewall configuration and policy management.
• Integrate Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) security solutions into secure enterprise environments while ensuring compliance with NATO security policies, programme requirements, and customer security architecture.
• Develop and maintain firewall architectures, security designs, implementation plans, configuration standards, and engineering documentation.
• Participate in Agile development activities including sprint planning, technical reviews, security architecture reviews, and cross-functional engineering collaboration.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance on enterprise firewall engineering, network security, defence-in-depth principles, and secure-by-design engineering practices.
• Travel to NATO sites to install, configure, integrate, validate, and troubleshoot enterprise firewall and network security solutions while supporting deployment, commissioning, security testing, and customer acceptance activities.
• Support cybersecurity planning, infrastructure modernization initiatives, security accreditation activities, and proposal development.

Required Experience, Skills, and Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related discipline with 8-12 years of relevant experience, or Master's degree with 6-10 years of relevant experience.
• Active NATO Secret clearance (or higher).
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing enterprise firewall and network security solutions.
• Strong experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including policy management, threat prevention, and security architecture.
• Experience with VMware NSX Distributed Firewall, Cisco security technologies, or equivalent enterprise network security platforms.
• Strong understanding of enterprise security architecture, defence-in-depth principles, network segmentation, identity and access management, and secure systems design.
• Experience integrating firewall solutions into VMware private cloud, SDN, or hybrid cloud environments.
• Extensive experience with implementing security automation using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Ansible, Terraform, Python, or similar technologies.
• Strong understanding of enterprise networking, routing, switching, VPNs, PKI, and enterprise cybersecurity practices.
• Experience operating within Agile, SAFe, or DevSecOps delivery frameworks.
• Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder engagement, and technical collaboration skills.
• Experience supporting defence, government, or highly regulated development environments.

Preferred Experience, Skills, and Education

• Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) or equivalent certification.
• VMware NSX certification or equivalent SDN security certification.
• Experience supporting NATO environments and compliance frameworks.
• Experience with F5 Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) and Web Application Firewalls (WAF).
• Experience with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR), or enterprise security monitoring platforms.
• Familiarity with Python, REST APIs, and security automation technologies.
• Experience supporting large-scale infrastructure modernization and enterprise platform engineering initiatives.

Pay Range

Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

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