Please strictly adhere to the following resume naming convention:ALL CAPS, NO SPACES B/T UNDERSCORESBill Rate: per hour (MAX)PTN_US_GBAMSREQID_CandidateBeelineIDi.e. PTN_US_9999999_SKIPJOHNSON0413MSP Owner: Shilpa BajpaiLocation: Austin, TXDuration: 6 monthsGBaMS ReqID: 10940932Role: Perimeter Firewall EngineerKeyword: ~Perimeter Engineer~Skills: Cisco Viptela~FortiGate SD-WAN~Network Security : Fortinet~Checkpoint FirewallExperience Required: 8-10Role Descriptions: Job DescriptionTier 3 Network Security Engineer, Cisco Secure Firepower (Contractor)LocationPreferred: Residence within one (1) hour of Austin, TXThis position is primarily remote; however, on-site support will be required periodically to support operational needs.On-Site Support Examples include, but not limited to:• Layer 1 / physical support activities• Direct access during major or high-risk network changes• Critical troubleshooting events requiring hands-on presenceEngagement TypeContractor Position: This role 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.Position OverviewWe are seeking a highly skilled, Tier 3, Network Security Engineer with deep expertise in Cisco Secure Firepower Firewalls to support an enterprise-scale Managed Network Services environment for a State Government Agency.This role 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.Experience with Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC), strong VPN troubleshooting skills, and familiarity with large-scale enterprise or government environments are critical for success in this role. Experience with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is highly beneficial.Key Responsibilities• Serve 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 Firewall Management Center (FMC), including but not limited to:o Creating and maintaining operational and compliance reportso Monitoring firewall health and system performanceo Analyzing traffic flows and connection behavioro Supporting 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 obligationsRequired Technical Skills & Experience• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco Secure Firepower Firewalls• Advanced troubleshooting experience, including but not limited to:o Snort 3 (IPS and File Policies)o Traffic flow analysis and packet inspectiono NAT / PAT configuration and troubleshootingo Security Intelligence policieso Access control rule analysiso OSI Layers 1-7, with particular emphasis on Layers 1-4• Solid operational experience with Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC)• Proven experience troubleshooting VPN technologies (Cisco AnyConnect)• Strong understanding of routing concepts and protocols in secured network environmentsPreferred / Beneficial Experience• Experience with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN• Familiarity with ServiceNow or similar ITSM tools for incident and change management• Experience creating, editing, and maintaining network topology diagrams• Microsoft Visio experience preferredCommunication & Documentation• Strong written and verbal communication skills• Ability to clearly document technical findings, configurations, and change activities• Ability to communicate effectively within structured, process-driven environmentsWork Expectations• 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• Professional conduct appropriate for a government-supported enterprise environmen