What are the responsibilities and job description for the Network Engineering Lead (Cisco / Palo Alto) position at SunSoft Online?
Network Engineering Lead (Cisco / Palo Alto)
Location: Phoenix, AZ 85034 - 100% Onsite (driving position, metro-area field sites, mileage reimbursed)
Job Type: Contract (W2 or 1099)
Duration: July 2026 – December 2026 (potential extension)
Pay Rate: $85–$93/hr W2, depending on experience (1099 option available)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM, plus participation in 24/7 on-call standby rotation
About the Role:
SunSoft Online, a Phoenix-based technology consulting firm, is seeking a Network Engineering Lead to support a mission-critical public safety network for a municipal agency in Phoenix. You will lead implementation of active improvement projects, including deployment of Palo Alto firewalls to facilities across the region, OSPF/BGP routing changes to reduce failover times, and strengthening the resiliency and security of a 24/7 CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) network.
Responsibilities:
- Design, implement, and manage Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Nexus, and Palo Alto Networks infrastructure (routers, switches, firewalls)
- Troubleshoot complex network issues, ensuring high availability of critical operations
- Perform configurations, upgrades, and patch management; monitor performance and run proactive health checks
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to network engineers
- Coordinate copper/fiber premise cabling, equipment installation, and access control/CCTV needs at field sites
- Maintain network architecture documentation and support capacity planning and budget input
- Collaborate with internal departments, vendors, and stakeholders with strong customer service
Required Qualifications:
- 5 years of recent experience in planning, design, and maintenance of a large network
- Strong hands-on experience configuring/managing/troubleshooting Cisco IOS, Cisco Nexus, and Palo Alto NGFW with Panorama
- Routing protocols: BGP, OSPF, EIGRP; point-to-point VPNs, IPsec, NAT, QoS
- Experience supervising a small team and supporting 24/7 critical operations (public safety environment preferred)
- Familiarity with Splunk, ServiceNow, Jira, and SolarWinds Orion
- CCNP, Palo Alto Networks NGFW Engineer, or similar certification
- Must be currently local to the Phoenix metro area, available for an in-person interview within one week, and able to start within two weeks of offer
- Valid driver's license required
Salary : $85 - $93