Lead Network Security Engineer Firewalls & Policy

Verizon is seeking a Lead Network Security Engineer to help shape network security architecture across the Transport Security Policy & Audit (TSPA) team. In this hybrid role based in Ashburn, VA, you will design and operationalize firewall and access control strategies, partner with Planning and Design teams on security policy architecture, and drive automation and reliability improvements across the Verizon network.

What you’ll do

• Translate complex requirements into scalable architectural designs and implementation roadmaps, aligning technical solutions with business objectives.
• Design fault-tolerant platform architectures to support long-term growth and system reliability at scale.
• Lead access control design for major projects by collaborating with application owners, evaluating policy approaches for efficiency, anticipating design impact, and minimizing deployment risk.
• Serve as a cross-functional technical authority in Network Security by setting engineering standards, leading enterprise-wide knowledge sharing, and evolving workflows for better collaboration and accountability.
• Oversee deployment strategies and hardware and software lifecycle management, and architect a resilient 24x7 support model supported by automation and observability.
• Define and track KPIs and SLOs to measure platform performance and scalability.
• Evaluate new platforms and lead internal investigations and RFOs for access control incidents, extracting lessons learned and managing vendor evaluations.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
• Six or more years of relevant experience, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
• Experience in Network and Security Operations.
• Hands-on experience with firewall engineering (F5, Juniper, Palo Alto, Checkpoint, Cisco, Fortinet, etc.), plus networking and routing protocols such as TCP/IP and VPN, and network security fundamentals and best practices.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for network connections, resolving complex network access and routing issues, participating in technical discussions, and handling on-call duties.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively with minimal supervision, lead complex projects, mentor junior engineers, and maintain high standards of accountability and work ethics.

Technologies you’ll work with

• F5, Juniper, Palo Alto, Checkpoint, Cisco, Fortinet
• TCP/IP, VPN
• CISSP, CCNP, FortiGate

Schedule and location

• Location: Ashburn, VA (hybrid)
• Work pattern: Defined work location with working from home and a minimum of three days per week in the office, set by your manager. Employees are responsible for maintaining compliance with hybrid work policies.
• Schedule: 40 hours per week
• Additional note: This role can be located in any US-based Verizon hub location.

Compensation and benefits

Salary: USD 120,500 - 231,000 per year. The salary range varies by location and confirmed job-related skills and experience. This is an incentive-based position with potential to earn more.

• Health and wellness benefit options: medical, dental, vision
• Short and long term disability
• Basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, and AD&D insurance
• Identity theft protection
• Pet insurance
• Group home & auto insurance
• Matched 401(k) savings plan
• Up to 8 company paid holidays per year; up to 6 personal days per year
• Paid parental leave; adoption assistance
• Tuition assistance
• Potential to receive compensation such as premium pay (overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc.)
• Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service

Even better if you have

• High level understanding of access control design impact on a large and complex production network
• Understanding of the VCP Core, Edge and Far Edge networks, end-to-end
• CISSP, CCNP, Palo Alto, Juniper, FortiGate, F5 certifications
• Experience training and mentoring junior engineers