{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"3ff4de21f71cd8f4cd3bac97","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3ff4de21f71cd8f4cd3bac97","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3ff4de21f71cd8f4cd3bac97","title":"Senior Technical Consultant - Network Security","description":"AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.\nAt AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.\nWe are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.\nWe embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.\n\nWe are seeking a Senior Technical Consultant to lead firewall, network access control, and SASE engagements across diverse enterprise environments. This role spans three core technology pillars: next-generation firewall design and deployment (Cisco Secure Firewall, Palo Alto Networks), Cisco ISE-based network access control and identity services, and SASE/Zero Trust architectures (Zscaler, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Cisco Secure Access, Netskope).\nThe ideal candidate combines deep hands-on expertise across these platforms with strong consulting skills, owning end-to-end delivery from discovery and design through implementation, testing, and knowledge transfer. This is a client-facing role that requires the ability to lead technical workstreams, produce professional documentation, and communicate complex security strategies to both technical and executive audiences.\nKey Responsibilities: Firewall\nDesign and deploy Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) managed by Firewall Management Center (FMC), including high-availability pairs, threat policies (Snort IPS, malware defense, URL filtering), and both site-to-site and remote access VPN configurations.\nConfigure and manage Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls running PAN-OS, including security profiles (Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, Vulnerability Protection, WildFire), App-ID, User-ID, SSL/TLS decryption, and centralized management via Panorama.\nLead firewall migration projects including legacy Cisco ASA to FTD conversions, cross-vendor migrations (Check Point, Fortinet, Juniper to Palo Alto or Cisco), and policy translation with rule optimization during cutover.\nDesign network segmentation architectures using firewall zones, virtual routers, VRFs, and policy-based routing to enforce least-privilege east-west and north-south traffic controls.\nDeploy cloud-native firewall solutions including Palo Alto Cloud NGFW for AWS and Azure, and Cisco Secure Firewall Cloud Native for containerized and cloud workload environments.\nImplement firewall high availability designs including active/standby failover, active/active clustering, and multi-context deployments for service provider and large enterprise environments.\nConfigure centralized logging, SIEM integration (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, syslog), and NetFlow/IPFIX for traffic analytics, threat correlation, and compliance reporting.\nPerform firewall rule base optimization, policy cleanup, and compliance auditing to reduce attack surface and align with regulatory frameworks (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, NIST).\nIntegrate Cisco Secure Firewall with Cisco XDR for cross-platform threat detection, event correlation, and automated incident response across the security portfolio.\nAutomate firewall provisioning, configuration backup, and policy deployment using infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, Ansible) and vendor APIs for repeatable, auditable workflows.\nDeploy Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for 802.1X wired and wireless authentication, MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB), and RADIUS/TACACS+ device administration across campus, branch, and data center environments.\nKey Responsibilities: Cisco ISE\nDesign and implement ISE authorization policies including Security Group Tags (SGTs) with TrustSec, downloadable ACLs (dACLs), VLAN assignment, and Adaptive Network Control (ANC) for dynamic threat response.\nConfigure ISE profiling services, posture assessment, and compliance enforcement to provide endpoint visibility and ensure devices meet organizational security baselines before granting access.\nIntegrate ISE with Cisco network infrastructure (Catalyst switches, wireless LAN controllers, Secure Firewall) and third-party network access devices for consistent policy enforcement across heterogeneous environments.\nDeploy ISE guest portals, BYOD onboarding workflows, and certificate-based authentication (EAP-TLS) with internal or external certificate authorities for secure device enrollment.\nImplement pxGrid integrations to share identity and session context between ISE, Cisco Secure Firewall, Splunk, and third-party security platforms for unified policy enforcement and threat intelligence.\nDesign ISE distributed deployments spanning Policy Administration Nodes (PAN), Policy Service Nodes (PSN), and Monitoring and Troubleshooting Nodes (MnT) for scale, redundancy, and geographic distribution.\nPerform ISE upgrades, migrations (legacy ACS to ISE), and advanced troubleshooting using RADIUS live logs, policy trace, TCP dump, and debug utilities to resolve authentication and authorization issues.\nKey Responsibilities: SASE/Zero Trust:\nDesign and implement SASE and Zero Trust architectures covering remote user, branch office, cloud workload, and data center connectivity use cases with a unified security policy framework.\nConfigure and deploy Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) including Secure Web Gateway, SSL inspection, URL filtering, cloud firewall, and sandbox policies, and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) including ZTNA application segments, App Connectors, and browser-based access.\nDeploy Palo Alto Prisma Access including GlobalProtect remote user connectivity, explicit proxy for branch offices, and service connections to on-premises infrastructure managed through Strata Cloud Manager or Panorama.\nImplement Cisco Secure Access (SSE) including Zero Trust Network Access, Secure Web Gateway, Cloud Access Security Broker, and resource connector deployment for private application access.\nConfigure Netskope Security Cloud including Next Gen SWG, CASB with API-enabled and inline protections, and Netskope Private Access (NPA) with traffic steering, real-time protection policies, and DLP controls.\nLeverage Guardicore micro-segmentation for east-west traffic control, application ring-fencing, and workload visibility to complement SASE north-south protections in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.\nDeploy identity-based access controls integrating with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, SAML 2.0, and SCIM provisioning to enforce user and device trust across all SASE platforms.\nDevelop and maintain Zero Trust maturity roadmaps for clients, mapping current-state gaps to phased adoption plans across identity, device, network, application, and data pillars.\nArchitecture, Design and Documentation:\nLead client-facing discovery sessions, design workshops, and architecture reviews to define firewall, NAC, and SASE strategies aligned with business objectives and compliance requirements. Own the creation of High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documents, network diagrams, implementation runbooks, and as-built documentation for firewall, ISE, and SASE deployments.\nDevelop migration and cutover plans with rollback procedures, change management workflows, and CAB review packages\nConduct knowledge transfer sessions and train client operations teams on day-2 firewall management, ISE policy administration, SASE platform operations, and incident response procedures.\nManage project workstreams, track milestones and deliverables, and escalate risks proactively to project and account leadership\nServe as the technical escalation point for junior engineers during engagements, conducting reviews of policy configurations and providing mentorship\nContribute to internal practice development including reusable templates, deployment runbooks, and automation playbooks for firewall, ISE, and SASE engagements.\n\nRequired Qualifications:\n7+ years of network security, infrastructure security, or security engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a consulting, professional services, or client-facing delivery role.\nDemonstrated hands-on experience designing and deploying Cisco Secure Firewall (FTD/FMC) and Palo Alto Networks NGFW (PAN-OS/Panorama) in enterprise production environments.\nProduction experience deploying Cisco ISE for 802.1X authentication, TACACS+ device administration, and network access policy enforcement across wired, wireless, and VPN environments.\nProduction experience with at least one SASE platform (Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Cisco Secure Access, or Netskope) including SWG, CASB, and ZTNA configuration.\nStrong understanding of routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), VPN technologies (IPsec, SSL/TLS), network segmentation, and Zero Trust architecture principles.\nExperience with cloud platforms (AWS VPC, Azure VNet, GCP VPC) including security groups, network firewalls, and hybrid connectivity architectures.\nExperience with identity and access management platforms (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, SAML 2.0, SCIM) and their integration with firewall, NAC, and SASE solutions.\nExperience integrating security platforms with SIEM (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel), syslog infrastructure, and automation tools (Terraform, Ansible) for centralized visibility and repeatable deployments.\nPreferred Qualifications:\nCCIE Security or CCNP Security certification.\nPalo Alto PCNSE or PCNSC certification; Zscaler ZCCA/ZCCP; Cisco Secure Access or Netskope certifications.\nCISSP, CompTIA Security+, or equivalent industry security certification.\nFirewall migration experience including ASA to FTD conversions and cross-vendor platform migrations with rule translation and optimization.\n\nThe compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.\nWhy AHEAD:\nThrough our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.\nWe fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.\nUSA Employment Benefits include:\nMedical, Dental, and Vision Insurance\n401(k)\nPaid company holidays\nPaid time off\nPaid parental and caregiver leave\nPlus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.\nUse of AI:\nWe may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.\nIf you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at privacy@ahead.com.\nYou may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.\nWe may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.","company":"Ahead","rawCompany":"ahead","city":"Remote","state":"OR","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-13T14:04:41.199Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-1212.00","title":"Information Security Analysts","slug":"information-security-analysts"},{"code":"15-1244.00","title":"Network and Computer Systems Administrators","slug":"network-and-computer-systems-administrators"},{"code":"15-1299.05","title":"Information Security Engineers","slug":"information-security-engineers"}],"industries":[{"code":"541512","title":"Computer Systems Design Services","slug":"computer-systems-design-services"},{"code":"541519","title":"Other Computer Related Services","slug":"other-computer-related-services"},{"code":"541690","title":"Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services","slug":"other-scientific-and-technical-consulting-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Senior Technical Consultant - Network Security","description":"AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.\nAt AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.\nWe are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.\nWe embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.\n\nWe are seeking a Senior Technical Consultant to lead firewall, network access control, and SASE engagements across diverse enterprise environments. This role spans three core technology pillars: next-generation firewall design and deployment (Cisco Secure Firewall, Palo Alto Networks), Cisco ISE-based network access control and identity services, and SASE/Zero Trust architectures (Zscaler, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Cisco Secure Access, Netskope).\nThe ideal candidate combines deep hands-on expertise across these platforms with strong consulting skills, owning end-to-end delivery from discovery and design through implementation, testing, and knowledge transfer. This is a client-facing role that requires the ability to lead technical workstreams, produce professional documentation, and communicate complex security strategies to both technical and executive audiences.\nKey Responsibilities: Firewall\nDesign and deploy Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) managed by Firewall Management Center (FMC), including high-availability pairs, threat policies (Snort IPS, malware defense, URL filtering), and both site-to-site and remote access VPN configurations.\nConfigure and manage Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls running PAN-OS, including security profiles (Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, Vulnerability Protection, WildFire), App-ID, User-ID, SSL/TLS decryption, and centralized management via Panorama.\nLead firewall migration projects including legacy Cisco ASA to FTD conversions, cross-vendor migrations (Check Point, Fortinet, Juniper to Palo Alto or Cisco), and policy translation with rule optimization during cutover.\nDesign network segmentation architectures using firewall zones, virtual routers, VRFs, and policy-based routing to enforce least-privilege east-west and north-south traffic controls.\nDeploy cloud-native firewall solutions including Palo Alto Cloud NGFW for AWS and Azure, and Cisco Secure Firewall Cloud Native for containerized and cloud workload environments.\nImplement firewall high availability designs including active/standby failover, active/active clustering, and multi-context deployments for service provider and large enterprise environments.\nConfigure centralized logging, SIEM integration (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, syslog), and NetFlow/IPFIX for traffic analytics, threat correlation, and compliance reporting.\nPerform firewall rule base optimization, policy cleanup, and compliance auditing to reduce attack surface and align with regulatory frameworks (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, NIST).\nIntegrate Cisco Secure Firewall with Cisco XDR for cross-platform threat detection, event correlation, and automated incident response across the security portfolio.\nAutomate firewall provisioning, configuration backup, and policy deployment using infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, Ansible) and vendor APIs for repeatable, auditable workflows.\nDeploy Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for 802.1X wired and wireless authentication, MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB), and RADIUS/TACACS+ device administration across campus, branch, and data center environments.\nKey Responsibilities: Cisco ISE\nDesign and implement ISE authorization policies including Security Group Tags (SGTs) with TrustSec, downloadable ACLs (dACLs), VLAN assignment, and Adaptive Network Control (ANC) for dynamic threat response.\nConfigure ISE profiling services, posture assessment, and compliance enforcement to provide endpoint visibility and ensure devices meet organizational security baselines before granting access.\nIntegrate ISE with Cisco network infrastructure (Catalyst switches, wireless LAN controllers, Secure Firewall) and third-party network access devices for consistent policy enforcement across heterogeneous environments.\nDeploy ISE guest portals, BYOD onboarding workflows, and certificate-based authentication (EAP-TLS) with internal or external certificate authorities for secure device enrollment.\nImplement pxGrid integrations to share identity and session context between ISE, Cisco Secure Firewall, Splunk, and third-party security platforms for unified policy enforcement and threat intelligence.\nDesign ISE distributed deployments spanning Policy Administration Nodes (PAN), Policy Service Nodes (PSN), and Monitoring and Troubleshooting Nodes (MnT) for scale, redundancy, and geographic distribution.\nPerform ISE upgrades, migrations (legacy ACS to ISE), and advanced troubleshooting using RADIUS live logs, policy trace, TCP dump, and debug utilities to resolve authentication and authorization issues.\nKey Responsibilities: SASE/Zero Trust:\nDesign and implement SASE and Zero Trust architectures covering remote user, branch office, cloud workload, and data center connectivity use cases with a unified security policy framework.\nConfigure and deploy Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) including Secure Web Gateway, SSL inspection, URL filtering, cloud firewall, and sandbox policies, and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) including ZTNA application segments, App Connectors, and browser-based access.\nDeploy Palo Alto Prisma Access including GlobalProtect remote user connectivity, explicit proxy for branch offices, and service connections to on-premises infrastructure managed through Strata Cloud Manager or Panorama.\nImplement Cisco Secure Access (SSE) including Zero Trust Network Access, Secure Web Gateway, Cloud Access Security Broker, and resource connector deployment for private application access.\nConfigure Netskope Security Cloud including Next Gen SWG, CASB with API-enabled and inline protections, and Netskope Private Access (NPA) with traffic steering, real-time protection policies, and DLP controls.\nLeverage Guardicore micro-segmentation for east-west traffic control, application ring-fencing, and workload visibility to complement SASE north-south protections in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.\nDeploy identity-based access controls integrating with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, SAML 2.0, and SCIM provisioning to enforce user and device trust across all SASE platforms.\nDevelop and maintain Zero Trust maturity roadmaps for clients, mapping current-state gaps to phased adoption plans across identity, device, network, application, and data pillars.\nArchitecture, Design and Documentation:\nLead client-facing discovery sessions, design workshops, and architecture reviews to define firewall, NAC, and SASE strategies aligned with business objectives and compliance requirements. Own the creation of High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documents, network diagrams, implementation runbooks, and as-built documentation for firewall, ISE, and SASE deployments.\nDevelop migration and cutover plans with rollback procedures, change management workflows, and CAB review packages\nConduct knowledge transfer sessions and train client operations teams on day-2 firewall management, ISE policy administration, SASE platform operations, and incident response procedures.\nManage project workstreams, track milestones and deliverables, and escalate risks proactively to project and account leadership\nServe as the technical escalation point for junior engineers during engagements, conducting reviews of policy configurations and providing mentorship\nContribute to internal practice development including reusable templates, deployment runbooks, and automation playbooks for firewall, ISE, and SASE engagements.\n\nRequired Qualifications:\n7+ years of network security, infrastructure security, or security engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a consulting, professional services, or client-facing delivery role.\nDemonstrated hands-on experience designing and deploying Cisco Secure Firewall (FTD/FMC) and Palo Alto Networks NGFW (PAN-OS/Panorama) in enterprise production environments.\nProduction experience deploying Cisco ISE for 802.1X authentication, TACACS+ device administration, and network access policy enforcement across wired, wireless, and VPN environments.\nProduction experience with at least one SASE platform (Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Cisco Secure Access, or Netskope) including SWG, CASB, and ZTNA configuration.\nStrong understanding of routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), VPN technologies (IPsec, SSL/TLS), network segmentation, and Zero Trust architecture principles.\nExperience with cloud platforms (AWS VPC, Azure VNet, GCP VPC) including security groups, network firewalls, and hybrid connectivity architectures.\nExperience with identity and access management platforms (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, SAML 2.0, SCIM) and their integration with firewall, NAC, and SASE solutions.\nExperience integrating security platforms with SIEM (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel), syslog infrastructure, and automation tools (Terraform, Ansible) for centralized visibility and repeatable deployments.\nPreferred Qualifications:\nCCIE Security or CCNP Security certification.\nPalo Alto PCNSE or PCNSC certification; Zscaler ZCCA/ZCCP; Cisco Secure Access or Netskope certifications.\nCISSP, CompTIA Security+, or equivalent industry security certification.\nFirewall migration experience including ASA to FTD conversions and cross-vendor platform migrations with rule translation and optimization.\n\nThe compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.\nWhy AHEAD:\nThrough our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.\nWe fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.\nUSA Employment Benefits include:\nMedical, Dental, and Vision Insurance\n401(k)\nPaid company holidays\nPaid time off\nPaid parental and caregiver leave\nPlus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.\nUse of AI:\nWe may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.\nIf you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at privacy@ahead.com.\nYou may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.\nWe may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.","datePosted":"2026-08-13T14:04:41.199Z","dateModified":"2026-08-13T14:04:41.199Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Ahead","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Remote","addressRegion":"OR","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"3ff4de21f71cd8f4cd3bac97"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3ff4de21f71cd8f4cd3bac97"}}