Sr. Palo Alto Cloud Engineer

Contract
Hybrid
$60-75/hr
Columbia, SC
Supports visa sponsorship

Job description

Position: Sr. Palo Alto Cloud Engineer

Location: Columbia, SC 

Duration: 12 months+

The Sr. Palo Alto Cloud Engineer will collaborate with Product Owners, Applications Owners, Network and Security teams to design and deliver optimal solutions for large-scale app and infrastructure cloud solutions. This is not a developer role. This position requires demonstrated proficiency in Palo Alto cloud firewalls with a similar level of expertise in cloud architecture and design.

Work Location: Hybrid (2 days in office, 3 days remote).

Candidate Location: Candidate MUST be a NC, GA, SC resident and willing to relocate to SC prior to starting the role at their own expense. (Preference for resources local to South Carolina at the time of submission).

 

Scope of the project:

The Sr. Palo Alto Cloud Engineer will collaborate with Product Owners, Applications Owners, Network and Security teams to design and deliver optimal solutions for large-scale app and infrastructure cloud solutions. Candidates should possess proficiency in both public and hybrid cloud models. Exceptional consulting skills and the ability to clearly derive desired states from customer requests are essential. The role also requires the ability to work with delivery teams. Importantly, this role is hands-on in delivery, requiring active involvement in the implementation and execution of security solutions. This is not a developer role

This position requires demonstrated proficiency in Palo Alto cloud firewalls with a similar level of expertise in cloud architecture and design

 

DAILY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES:

·       Design and deploy highly available, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure with a focus on AWS

and Azure Cloud.

·       Manage and deploy VM-Series Palo Alto firewalls in Azure and AWS cloud.

·       Manage and deploy F5 BIG-IP LTM and ASM in Azure and AWS cloud.

·       Analyze and resolve configuration issues in development, test, and production environments.

·       Familiar with major security compliance frameworks and building effective monitoring, logging, and auditing of production systems to ensure compliance with mandated compliance policies (e.g.,

·       ARC-AMP (formerly known as MARS-E), NIST, HIPAA, PII, SOX, PCI, CMMC, CUI, etc.).

·       Experience implementing secure (zero trust) infrastructure in cloud.

·       Security experience with state and local government customer

REQUIRED SKILLS (RANK IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE):

·       10 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN NETWORK SECURITY AND ENGINEERING

·       MINIMUM 5 YEARS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE DESIGNING, DEPLOYING, SCALING, UPGRADING, TROUBLESHOOTING, AND OPTIMIZING PALO ALTO VM-SERIES FIREWALLS IN BOTH AWS AND AZURE CLOUD ENVIRONMENTS.

·       EXPERIENCE WITH PANORAMA MANAGEMENT, SECURITY POLICY DESIGN, THREAT PREVENTION TUNING, AND LOG ANALYSIS REQUIRED.

·       MUST DEMONSTRATE ABILITY TO ARCHITECT ZERO-TRUST CONTROLS USING PALO ALTO TECHNOLOGY.

·       5 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN DEPLOYING, CONFIGURING AND MAINTAINING BIG-IP F5 LTM

REFERRED SKILLS (RANK IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE):

·       PALO ALTO FIREWALLS

·       F5 LTM

·       F5 ASM

·       F5 I-RULES

·       INFOBLOX DDI

·       FORESCOUT

·       OPSWAT

·       METADEFENDER/ICAP

·       BIG-IP F5 XC

·       PRISMA CLOUD

·       CISCO UMBRELLA

PREFERRED CERTIFICATIONS:

·       PCNSA, PCNSE

·       SC100 - MICROSOFT CYBERSECURITY

·       ARCHITECT

·       AWS CERTIFIED CLOUD SOLUTIONS

·       ARCHITECT

ADDITIONAL SKILLS/DUTIES:

• EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS, BOTH WRITTEN AND VERBAL.

• SELF-STARTER

• EXPLICIT EXPERIENCE IN PANORAMA TEMPLATES AND DEVICE GROUPS, GLOBAL PROTECT IN CLOUD, AND HIGH AVAILABILITY VPN/TRAFFIC ROUTING ON VM- SERIES

EXPERIENCE DESIGNING AND MAINTAINING INFRASTRUCTURE IN AWS/AZURE

• CLOUD SECURITY DESIGN, OPERATIONS, AND AUTOMATION EXPERIENCE

• DOCUMENTATION OF SECURITY TOOLS, DEPLOYMENT CONFIGURATION, INCIDENT REPORTS, ET

 

Required Education:

·       COLLEGE DEGREE OR 10+ YEARS OF EQUIVALENT

·       EXPERIENCE AS A PALO ALTO CLOUD ENGINEER

·       MUST HOLD PALO ALTO, AWS, OR AZURE CERTIFICATION

More information

Minimum education level

Bachelor's

Experience level

Expert and leadership (8+years)

Job skills

Palo Alto Networks

Cloud Architecture

Network Security

Virtual Private Cloud

Infrastructure as Code

Firewall Configuration

Troubleshooting

API Integration

Certifications

AWS

Azure

PCNSA

PCNSE

Client company information

The client company is confidential. Details will be shared after mutual interest is confirmed.

Company overview

company-logo
NextGenSC

Staffing and Recruiting·51-200 employees

NextGen is a trusted provider of IT professional services and staff augmentation solutions, supporting federal, state, and local government agencies in the successful execution of mission-critical programs. We specialize in delivering qualified, vetted, and certified IT professionals who strengthen agency capabilities while ensuring compliance with government standards, policies, and security requirements. Government agencies often face resource constraints, evolving technology mandates, and the need for specialized expertise to support modernization initiatives. NextGen addresses these challenges by offering flexible, scalable staffing solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing government teams and program structures. Our approach enables agencies to rapidly augment capabilities while maintaining full oversight, accountability, and control. NextGen provides experienced professionals across the full technology lifecycle, including: Application Development and Systems Engineering System Migration, Modernization, and Cloud Enablement Database Management and Administration Administrative and Operational IT Support Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Reporting Program, Project, and Portfolio Management Our delivery model emphasizes security, documentation, knowledge transfer, and continuity of operations. NextGen professionals adhere to established government frameworks, policies, and best practices, including SDLC, ITIL, and Agile methodologies, ensuring consistent and auditable performance. With a commitment to reliability, compliance, and measurable outcomes, NextGen partners with government agencies to improve service delivery, reduce operational risk, and advance digital transformation objectives. Please email your requirements to [email protected], and one of our business specialists will reach out to you to discuss them in detail.