Senior Network Security DevOps Engineer (Firewall L2) m/f/n

We are currently looking for an experienced Senior Network / Network Security DevOps Engineer (Firewall Engineer – Level 2) to join a project delivered for a European Union organization. The role focuses on ensuring the stability, security, automation, and continuous improvement of enterprise firewall infrastructure, combining operational excellence with a DevOps-oriented engineering approach.Technical Requirements:✅Incident & Problem Management (Level 2 Scope):Proven experience in handling Level 2 escalations in enterprise network security environmentsAbility to troubleshoot complex firewall incidents involving:routing issuesNAT behaviorasymmetric trafficperformance bottleneckscluster synchronization problemsExperience with deep packet inspection / traffic analysis (tcpdump, fw monitor, equivalent tools)Strong skills in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and problem managementAbility to identify recurring incidents and contribute to problem records and remediation plansExperience working in L1 / L2 / L3 operating modelsComfortable working in on-call rotations (Level 2) and incident bridges✅Firewall Engineering & Automation:Hands-on experience designing and maintaining automation for firewall lifecycle operations, including:software upgradescluster upgradesfailover validationpolicy deploymentsbackup & restore proceduresStrong experience with automation tools, especially:Ansible / AWXscript-based automation (Python, Bash – nice to have)Experience implementing infrastructure changes using:Git-based workflowsCI/CD pipelinesUnderstanding of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Configuration as Code principlesExperience reviewing and maintaining automation code in shared repositories✅Configuration Governance & CMDB Integrity:Strong understanding of configuration governance in regulated / enterprise environmentsExperience working with CMDB as a Source of Truth (e.g. NetBox or equivalent)Ability to ensure firewall objects, rules, and configurations are fully aligned with CMDB dataExperience preventing and resolving configuration driftAbility to implement validation and pre-deployment checksExperience contributing to compliance and audit reporting✅Firewall Platform Expertise:Check Point Software Technologies:Strong hands-on experience with Check Point R8x architectureExperience with:Management Server / MDSSmartConsoleClusterXLpolicy installation and troubleshootingFortinet:Hands-on experience with:FortiGateFortiManagerHA clustersSecurity Fabric integrationOpen-Source FirewallsPractical experience with:iptables / nftablespfSenseOPNsenseStrong understanding of the Linux networking stack✅DevOps & Engineering Practices:Strong DevOps mindset applied to network security infrastructureExperience integrating firewall operations with CI/CD pipelinesUnderstanding of:Git branching strategiespull requests and code reviewsExperience with unit testing automation scripts (nice to have)Familiarity with observability concepts:logsmetricsalertsAwareness of secure coding practices for automation and scripting✅Upgrade & Lifecycle Management:Proven experience planning and executing:major version upgradeshotfix deploymentssecurity patchingAbility to automate pre-checks and post-checks for upgradesExperience maintaining upgrade playbooks and proceduresAbility to define and document rollback strategiesExperience upgrading firewalls in high-availability environments✅Security & Compliance:Strong understanding of network security principles and firewall best practicesAbility to ensure configurations align with organizational security policiesExperience supporting:security auditsevidence collectioncompliance checksExperience with vulnerability remediation in firewall environmentsParticipation in security hardening initiativesTechnical Skills Required:✅Mandatory:5+ years of experience in enterprise firewall engineeringStrong hands-on knowledge of Check Point R8x and FortiGateSolid understanding of:TCP/IPNATVPN technologiesRouting (BGP, OSPF – basics)Experience with Linux networkingExperience with automation (Ansible preferred)Git proficiencyStrong troubleshooting skillsLanguages: English min. C1 plus any other European language would be an asset✅Nice to Have:Containerized firewall deploymentsAPI-driven firewall configurationExperience with CI/CD tools (e.g. GitLab CI)Experience integrating firewalls with cloud platforms (AWS)Experience with high-availability architectures✅Soft Skills:Analytical mindsetAbility to perform structured RCAAutonomous and proactive approachStrong documentation disciplineAbility to mentor Level 1 engineersClear communication during incident bridges✅Formal requirements (EU project):EU citizenship – requiredActive EU Secret Security Clearance required, or willingness to obtain one after joining the project✅What we offer:B2B contract100% Remote work model Full-time engagementRate: 530-550 EUR/MD netEquipment provided by the customerOn-call duties:weekly Level 2 on-call rotation - additionally paidBenefits: co-financing for medical and sports cards