Senior Network Security Engineer (Austin)

US Citizen Only due to Clearance restrictions.Tier 3 Perimeter EngineerAustin TX- onsite as needed (2-3 times per month)Pay rate: $65/hr w2 + benefitsBusiness Justification/Executive SummaryWe are seeking a highly skilled Tier 3 Perimeter Engineer with deep expertise in Cisco Secure Firepower Firewalls to support an enterprise-scale Managed Network Services environment for a State Government Agency.Position SummaryThis position functions as a Tier 3 resource within the Firewall Team and is responsible for advanced troubleshooting, operational support, and change execution in accordance with contractual and agency-defined processes. The engineer will work closely with internal teams to ensure the reliability, security, and performance of the firewall infrastructure.Engagement information:Position type: Contractor (primarily remote)Location (preferred): Residence within one (1) hour of Austin, TXOther:This position supports a long-term Managed Network Services (MNS) engagement for a state government agency.The selected candidate will work as part of a firewall operations team supporting contractual service delivery requirements.On-site support will be required periodically to support operational needs, including but not limited to:OSI Model Layer 1 (Physical) support activities,Direct access during major or high-risk network changes, andCritical troubleshooting events that require a hands-on presence.The candidate must expect the following at a minimum:Mostly remote work with periodic on-site support in the Austin, TX area;Availability for after-hours maintenance and change windows;Participation in an on-call rotation;Adherence to formal operational, security, and change control processes; andProfessional conduct appropriate for a government-supported enterprise environment.Key ResponsibilitiesServe as a Tier 3 escalation point for complex firewall and network security issues.Provide advanced troubleshooting and root cause analysis for Cisco Secure Firepower Firewall incidents.Perform day-to-day firewall operational support using Cisco Secure FMC, including but not limited to:Creating and maintaining operational and compliance reports,Monitoring firewall health and system performance,Analyzing traffic flows and connection behavior, andSupporting routing protocols within secured environments.Troubleshoot and support VPN technologies, including site-to-site and remote access VPNs.Analyze, implement, and optimize firewall access control and security policies.Participate in formal change management processes, including documentation, peer review, approvals, and scheduled implementations.Execute approved changes during after-hours change windows, as required.Participate in a team-based on-call rotation to support after-hours and emergency incidents.Collaborate with engineering teams and operational stakeholders to meet Managed Network Services (MNS) obligations.Required SkillsGeneral AbilitiesFamiliarity with large-scale enterprise or government environmentsStrong written and verbal communication skillsAbility to clearly document technical findings, configurations, and change activitiesAbility to communicate effectively within structured, process-driven environmentsGeneral Technical SkillsStrong understanding of routing concepts and protocols in secured network environmentsSpecific Technical SkillsStrong hands-on experience with Cisco Secure Firepower FirewallsAdvanced troubleshooting experience, including but not limited to:Snort 3 (Intrusion Prevention System [IPS] and file policies)Traffic flow analysis and packet inspectionNAT and/or PAT configuration and troubleshootingSecurity Intelligence policiesAccess control rule analysisOSI Layers 1 through 7, with particular emphasis on Layers 1 through 4Solid operational experience with Cisco Secure FMCProven experience in troubleshooting VPN technologies (i.e., Cisco Secure Client/AnyConnect)Desired SkillsExperience with Cisco Catalyst SD-WANFamiliarity with ServiceNow and/or similar ITSM tools for incident and change managementExperience creating, editing, and maintaining network topology diagramsExperience in Microsoft Visio