Cybersecurity Firewall Analyst II

Primary Talent Partners has a new contract opening for a Cybersecurity Firewall Analyst II with our large power and utilities client in Charlotte, NC. This is a 12-month contract with a potential for extension.

Pay: $54.00 - $59.00/hr; W2 contract, no PTO, no Benefits. ACA-compliant supplemental package available for enrollment. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be able to sit on Primary Talent Partners W2 without sponsorship.

Schedule: Hybrid

Description:
This position plays a key role in the SASE initiative by performing in-depth analysis, optimization, and cleanup of Palo Alto Networks security policies in preparation for migration to a Prisma Access / SASE architecture. The Analyst II will independently review complex rule bases, develop policy recommendations, and coordinate with business stakeholders to validate security requirements. This role serves as a technical bridge between the Analyst I and Analyst III, driving day-to-day execution of the policy review effort.


Responsibilities & Duties:

• Performs detailed analysis of Palo Alto Networks firewall security policies to identify optimization opportunities, including consolidation, tightening, and removal of unused or redundant rules.
• Evaluates existing egress internet policies and recommends cleanup actions aligned with best practices and the target SASE/Prisma Access architecture.
• Maps current firewall policy constructs (zones, address groups, application filters, security profiles) to their Prisma Access equivalents.
• Develops and documents policy migration recommendations, including rule-by-rule disposition (migrate, consolidate, retire, rewrite).
• Coordinates with business partners and IT teams to validate traffic flows, application dependencies, and rule ownership.
• Provides technical guidance and mentorship to Analyst I team members.
• Maintains comprehensive documentation of analysis findings, decisions, and migration readiness status.
• Contributes to the development of standardized processes, templates, and criteria for the policy review effort.
• Adheres to change management requirements and processes.
• Participates in project planning, status reporting, and stakeholder communications.
• Identifies and escalates complex policy conflicts or architectural questions to the Analyst III / project lead.
  
  

Desired Qualifications:

• 3-5 years of experience in firewall administration, network security, or a related cybersecurity role.
• Solid hands-on experience with Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls and Panorama management.
• Experience analyzing and optimizing large-scale firewall rule bases in an enterprise environment.
• Working knowledge of SASE/SSE concepts and Palo Alto Prisma Access is a plus.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, NAT, routing, and common network protocols.
• Ability to develop and refine firewall policy while balancing business requirements and security controls.
• Experience analyzing firewall security and traffic logs for policy validation.
• Palo Alto Networks PCNSA required; PCNSE preferred.
• CompTIA Security or equivalent preferred.
• Experience in a large enterprise or critical infrastructure environment preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to document findings clearly and present to stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to personal and team success.
  
  

Primary Talent Partners is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity, or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application or at any point in the hiring process, please contact us at info@primarytalentpartners.com

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