Network Security Engineer

South Africa Hybrid / Remote R60k per month CTC Intermediate Specialist (L2)

Primary Purpose of the Role

• Firewall Management
• Network threat detection
• Secure connectivity
• Perimeter and internal network hardening

We are seeking a skilled Network Security Specialist to join the Security Operations and Engineering team. This role focuses on designing implementing and maintaining secure network environments while supporting day-to-day operational security needs.
The ideal candidate has hands-on experience in firewalls VPNs IDS/IPS and network monitoring tools with a strong understanding of network-based threat detection and mitigation

You will work closely with:

• Security Operations (SOC)
• Infrastructure teams
• Cloud and endpoint teams

The role requires a proactive mindset to:

• Strengthen security posture
• Improve detection capabilities
• Support incident response
• Ensure stable and secure network services

Key Responsibilities

Network Security Engineering & Protection

• Implement and manage firewalls (Fortinet Palo Alto Cisco ASA/Firepower)
• Configure and maintain:
  • Network segmentation
  • Access control policies
  • NAT routing and secure rulesets
  • IPSec tunnels
• Manage IDS/IPS systems and tune alerts to reduce false positives

Threat Detection & Monitoring

• Collaborate with SOC to improve detection logic and refine alert tuning

Secure Connectivity & Access

• Configure and maintain secure VPN solutions (site-to-site and remote access)
• Implement Zero Trust principles where applicable
• Enforce secure remote access policies
• Troubleshoot connectivity latency and performance security impacts

Network Infrastructure Security

• Maintain secure configurations of switches routers and wireless networks
• Ensure firmware and patch compliance
• Enforce secure protocols (SSH HTTPS SNMPv3)
• Support cloud network security (NSGs / Security Groups routing controls)

Incident Response & Support

• Act as L2 escalation point for network-related security incidents
• Assist with incident triage and containment actions
• Provide technical support for breaches and firewall misconfigurations

Governance Documentation & Operations

• Maintain network diagrams firewall rule documentation SOPs and playbooks
• Participate in change management processes audits and reviews
• Ensure configurations align with security policies and compliance frameworks (basic CIS/NIST alignment)

Required Experience and Skills

• 24 years in network security and firewall administration
• Practical experience with firewalls (Fortinet Palo Alto Cisco or similar) VPN technologies IDS/IPS systems
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP DNS routing and network protocols
• Certifications (any of):
  • Fortinet NSE 4 / NSE 5
  • Cisco CCNA Security / CCNP Security
  • CompTIA Security / Network

Nice-to-Have

• Experience with Microsoft Sentinel or other SIEM platforms
• Cloud networking (Azure / AWS basics)
• Exposure to web proxies email security gateways web application firewalls Zero Trust Network Access

Personal Attributes

• Security-minded and detail-oriented
• Strong problem-solving ability
• Good communicator (technical non-technical)
• Self-driven and able to work in hybrid/remote environments
• Eager to learn and grow in network security