Palo Cloud Firewall Engineer SME

Ampcus Inc. is a certified global provider of a broad range of Technology and Business consulting services. We are in search of a highly motivated candidate to join our talented Team. Job Title: Palo Cloud Firewall Engineer SME. Location: McLean, VA. Job Description:Need Palo Alto Cloud Firewall Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the high-level design, deployment, and optimization of Palo Alto Networks' security solutions across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.Core Responsibilities:Architectural Leadership: Design and implement scalable, secure cloud network architectures in public (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid environments.Centralized Management: Act as the primary SME for Panorama and Strata Cloud Manager, managing global device groups, templates, and federated security policies.Cloud-Native Integration: Deploy and manage Cloud NGFW services as native cloud instances, integrating them into CI/CD pipelines via Terraform, APIs, or SDKs.Advanced Policy Engineering: Transform legacy port-based rules into App-ID and User-ID driven policies to enable Zero Trust micro-segmentation.Threat Prevention: Configure and optimize high-end features including WildFire (sandboxing), GlobalProtect (VPN), SSL decryption, and URL filtering.Automation & DevOps: Develop automation scripts using Python or Ansible to streamline firewall management, rule audits, and configuration hygiene.Escalation Support: Provide L4-level troubleshooting for complex connectivity issues, performing deep packet analysis using tools like Wireshark.Required Qualifications & Skills:Experience: Typically, 8–15 years in network security, with at least 5 years specifically focused on Palo Alto NGFWs.Cloud Expertise: Deep knowledge of cloud networking constructs, such as AWS Transit Gateway, Azure ExpressRoute, and Google Cloud Interconnect.Technical Proficiency: Strong command of routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), IPsec tunneling, and network function virtualization (NFV).Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field.Certifications:PCNSE (Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer).PCNSC (Certified Security Consultant) or Prisma Cloud certifications are highly desirable. Ampcus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veterans or individuals with disabilities.