Sr Firewall Administrator

Title: Sr Consultant, Firewall AdministratorLocation: Houston, TX (Woodlands) Onsite 5 days a weekType: Contract, 6-month with possibility of extension*This is a W2 only role, we are unable to offer sponsorship or work with 3rd party vendorsOur client is seeking an experienced Palo Alto and Cisco Firewall Administrator to manage and support their NGFW environment. This role is responsible for the day-to-day operation and security posture of Palo Alto and Cisco firewalls, including software upgrades, security policy development, NAT configuration, auditing, and ongoing optimization. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a production enterprise environment and understands both security requirements and network operations realities.Key ResponsibilitiesFirewall Operations & Administration• Administer Palo Alto and Cisco NGFWs (physical, virtual, and cloud-based)• Perform software upgrades, hotfixes, and content updates• Monitor firewall health, performance, and capacity• Troubleshoot connectivity, performance, and security issues Security Policy Management• Design, implement, and maintain security policies using best practices• Manage App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID, URL Filtering, and Threat Prevention•Continuously review and optimize firewall rules to reduce risk and complexity NAT & Traffic Engineering• Design and manage source NAT, destination NAT, and policy-based NAT• Troubleshoot complex NAT and routing scenarios Architecture & Design• Support firewall architecture for data center, cloud, remote, and branch environments• Participate in network and security design reviews Auditing & Compliance• Perform firewall rule audits and access reviews• Support internal and external security auditsRequired Qualifications• 5+ years of hands-on experience with Palo Alto and Cisco firewalls• Strong experience with OS upgrades and lifecycle management• Expertise in security policy and NAT design• Experience with Panorama and Firepower Management Center• Strong understanding of TCP/IP networking and routingGDT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sex, marital status, gender identity or any other protected Federal, State/Province or Local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.