VPN/ Firewall Systems Engineer (w/ active Secret)

Critical Solutions; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% premium coverage for Medical, D…

Supplemental Insurance

401K matching

Flexible PTO/Holidays

Higher Education/Training Reimb

Job summary

Critical Solutions is seeking a VPN/Fire Systems Engineer to support our federal customer in Norfolk, VA. The role focuses on designing, implementing, and maintaining robust network security solutions including firewalls, VPNs, and DMZ environments.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams for Incident Response, Change Management, Problem Management, and ITSM/DevSecOps initiatives, requiring active DoD clearance and strong vendor certs. This onsite role includes weekend on-call as needed.

Qualifications

• Active DoD Secret clearance required.
• BS degree and 8–12 years of relevant experience.
• Active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III certs (CCNP Security/CISSP/CASP+).
• Active Associate level network vendor certs (Cisco/Juniper/Palo/F5).
• On-call availability and after-hours support as needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide VPN, DMZ, and firewall SME for the agency network.
• Collaborate with NOC and engineering teams to improve network security.
• Develop network SOPs and implement TTPs.
• Plan upgrades and maintenance with stakeholders.
• Tier III escalation and incident management support.
• Root cause analysis for problems and incidents.

Skills

VPN & Firewall

DMZ engineering

Juniper/Cisco

DoD 8570 IAT III

Ansible & Python

Routing protocols

Security clearance

Education

B.S. Degree

Tools

Cisco devices

Juniper devices

Palo Alto

F5 Networks

Job description

VPN/ Firewall Systems Engineer (w/ active Secret)

Location: Norfolk, VA
Clearance: Secret
Type: Full-time, Onsite
Schedule: 8AM - 5PM (M-F) and on call on weekends as needed
Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000. Salary range may vary depending on location.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Critical Solutions is seeking a VPN/Fire Systems Engineer to support our federal customer.

We are seeking a skilled Firewall & VPN Network Engineer proficient in network engineering appliances and technologies (i.e. Firewalls, DMZ, VPN) to join our Transport Operations team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining robust & mature global network security solutions.

Your expertise in configuring enterprise-grade Juniper firewalls, managing DMZ environments, engineering secure Firewall/VPN solutions, and administering Cisco network appliances will be crucial. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering and project management teams to safeguard our network infrastructure against threats and vulnerabilities ensuring the highest levels of operational integrity. You will be a member of a technical team, managing customer relationships and overseeing key resources for Incident Response, Change Management, Problem Management, Operations and Maintenance (O&M), and ITSM and DevSecOps initiatives.

PRIMARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support Current Operations for the Agency by providing VPN, DMZ, and Firewall Network Engineering Subject Matter Expertise (SME) for the largest Intranet in the world. A qualified candidate for this position would be responsible for network modification, operation, integration, maintenance, security, and implementation of services for the as-fielded Agency network.
• Collaborates with the Network Operations Center, Network Administrators, and the Network Engineering Team to define and/or continuously improve:
• Network Security Appliances (i.e. DMZ, VPN, Firewalls)
• Test and Validate Automation and best practice insertion opportunities.
• Leads development of Network SOPs/TTPs
• Continuous Service Improvements (CSI)
• System performance tuning and enhancements
• Create and maintain Engineering Implementation Plans (EIP)
• Plans and executes network upgrades and maintenance activities with the Operations Manager, NOC Lead, Release Management team and other key stakeholders.
• Tier III escalation support and vendor engagement supporting Incident Management activities.
• Active participation in Root Cause Analysis for Problem Management activities.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• U.S. Citizen with an active DoD Secret security clearance.
• Requires B.S. Degree and 8-12 years of prior relevant experience. Work experience may be substituted for degree at Hiring Manager's discretion.
• Must currently possess an active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III Certification i.e. CCNP Security, CISSP, or CASP+.
• Must currently possess an active Associate level Network Vendor Certification (from one of the following Vendors): Cisco, Juniper, Palo, F5 Networks.
• Ability to work or be called in to work during off-hours to meet customer mission support requirements.
• Participate in on-call rotation for Incident Management responsibilities among the Transport Operations team.
• Network Subject Matter Expert for operations providing Tier-III support to the NOC watch staff.
• Perform highly technical maintenance and configuration to firewalls, VPNs, and DMZ appliances.
• Extensive experience engineering and troubleshooting networks, including routing, switching, MPLS, VPNs, routing protocols (i.e. BGP, OSPF, IS-IS), switching protocols (i.e. Spanning Tree Protocol, VLANs, LLDP, VoIP) Multicast protocols and emerging network technologies.
• Strong understanding and in-depth knowledge of IP network/subnet addressing.
• Extensive knowledge of defense-in-depth principles, Network architecture, Modern Network Topologies, Network appliance integrity, and common networking security elements.
• Ansible, Python, IaC network automation experience.

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT:

• Must currently possess an active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III Certification i.e. CCNP Security, CISSP, or CASP+.
• Must currently possess an active Associate level Network Vendor Certification (from one of the following Vendors): Cisco, Juniper, Palo, F5 Networks.

SCHEDULE:

• 8AM - 5PM (M-F) and on call on weekends as needed

LOCATION:

• Onsite 100%
• Norfolk, VA, Pearl Harbor, HI, San Diego, CA Washington Navy Yard (WNYD), or Pensacola

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT: Must possess an active DoD Secret Clearance. In addition, selected candidate must undergo background investigation (BI) and finger printing by the federal agency and successfully pass the preceding to qualify for the position. US CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED.

CRITICAL SOLUTIONS PAY AND BENEFITS:

Salary range $85,000 - $110,000. The salary range for this position represent the typical salary range for this job level and this does not guarantee a specific salary. Compensation is based upon multiple factors such as responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, certifications, and other requirements.

BENEFIT SNAPSHOT:

100% premium coverage for Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Supplemental Insurance, 401K matching, Flexible Time Off (PTO/Holidays), Higher Education/Training Reimbursement, and more.