Network Engineer - Lake Zurich, IL

Network EngineerLocation: Lake Zurich, IL (Onsite)Key ResponsibilitiesFirewall & Security OperationsConfigure, manage, and support Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto NGFW platformsImplement and manage firewall policies, NAT rules, VPNs (IPSec/SSL)Perform rule optimization, cleanup, and policy governance aligned with security standardsMonitor network traffic, identify anomalies, and mitigate security threatsDesign & ImplementationDesign and deploy secure network architectures and firewall solutionsConfigure HA setups, SD-WAN, routing, and logging integrationsSupport firewall migrations (Fortinet ? Palo Alto) and technology upgradesIncident Management & TroubleshootingPerform L2/L3 troubleshooting of network and security incidentsConduct root cause analysis (RCA) and implement corrective actionsRespond to security alerts and coordinate incident remediationNetwork & Security MonitoringMonitor and maintain network performance, availability, and security postureSupport vulnerability assessments and remediation activitiesEnsure compliance with security policies, audits, and governance frameworksChange Management & DocumentationHandle change requests, upgrades, and patch managementMaintain updated network diagrams, SOPs, and configuration documentationParticipate in CAB meetings and provide technical inputsCollaboration & Stakeholder ManagementWork with cross-functional teams (network, cloud, SOC, infra)Provide technical guidance and act as SME for firewall/security technologiesSupport audits and compliance requirementsTechnical Skills RequiredFirewall & SecurityFortinet FortiGate (Policies, VPN, SD-WAN, HA, FortiManager/FortiAnalyzer)Palo Alto Networks (NGFW, Panorama, App-ID, User-ID, NAT policies)IDS/IPS, VPN, SIEM, security monitoring toolsNetworkingStrong understanding of TCP/IP, VLANs, DNS, NAT, SSL/TLSRouting protocols: BGP, OSPF, EIGRPSwitching concepts (VLAN, STP, trunking)Tools & PlatformsExperience with Panorama, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzerKnowledge of cloud security (Azure/AWS) – preferredFamiliarity with load balancers, WAF, SD-WANQualificationsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science / IT / related field6–10+ years of experience in network security and firewall managementStrong hands-on experience with Fortinet & Palo Alto platformsPreferred CertificationsFortinet NSE (NSE4 / NSE7)Palo Alto PCNSE / PCNSA