Fortinet Network Security Engineer Independent Contractor

This is an onsite, full-time contract position based in Virginia, USA. Overview Anovia is seeking an experienced, Fortinet-certified engineer to support, manage, and maintain an enterprise Fortinet environment onsite in Virginia, on a contract basis. In this role, you will manage day-to-day Fortinet security operations, configure and troubleshoot firewalls and VPNs, support high availability and disaster recovery readiness, and resolve network security incidents within agreed service levels. You will work closely with internal teams and client stakeholders, applying Zero Trust principles and security best practices across the environment, while maintaining clear technical documentation and providing knowledge transfer where needed. The ideal candidate brings strong hands‑on experience across the Fortinet Security Fabric, sound networking fundamentals, and confident troubleshooting instincts. You operate independently in a client‑facing managed services or break‑fix capacity, communicate clearly with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, and bring a methodical, detail‑oriented approach to incident response and documentation. Responsibilities Manage, monitor, and administer Fortinet security infrastructure on a day-to-day basis. Configure, optimize, and troubleshoot FortiGate firewalls, VPNs, and associated Fortinet platforms. Maintain High Availability configurations and ensure disaster recovery readiness. Respond to and resolve network security incidents within agreed service level agreements. Implement and enforce Zero Trust principles and security best practices across the environment. Perform firmware updates, patching, and routine system health checks. Requirements Fortinet certification at the NSE 5, NSE 6, NSE 7, or FCSS (Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist) level is required. (Certifications from other vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto, or Check Point do not qualify.) 5+ years of hands‑on experience with Fortinet technologies in an enterprise environment. Strong working knowledge of FortiGate NGFW, FortiManager, and FortiAnalyzer. Experience with HA cluster management, failover validation, and disaster recovery processes. Solid understanding of networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, routing, switching, VLANs, DNS, and VPN (SSL/IPSec). Experience with SD-WAN, SASE, NAC, and Zero Trust implementation. Experience working in managed services, break‑fix, or client‑facing support environments. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Nice to Have CISSP or CompTIA Security+ certification. Application delivery, load balancing, or WAF technologies. SIEM, MDR, and endpoint detection and response (EDR/XDR). Exposure to Cloudflare, Cisco, or Arista platforms. Anovia is an equal opportunity employer and may use Artificial Intelligence tools to assist in reviewing and processing candidate applications. #J-18808-Ljbffr Anovia