Palo Alto SME

Abile Group has an exciting and challenging opportunity for a Palo Alto SME on a contract providing Network and Cybersecurity services supporting an Intelligence Community customer. All the personnel on the team will work together to support transport and cybersecurity information technology (IT) services on multiple networks and security domains at multiple locations worldwide inclusive of new facilities and building constructions to support the IC mission.

The right candidate will possess the belowskills and qualificationsand be ready to handle all responsibilities independently and professionally.

• Leads the design analysis testing and implementation of state-of-the-art secure network architectures centered on the Palo Alto Networks ecosystem.
• Serves as the lead technical authority for administering configuring and troubleshooting Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) across a hybrid enterprise environment.
• Manages the full lifecycle of Palo Alto hardware and software including executing complex hardware refreshes and PAN-OS upgrades especially on legacy platforms.
• Develops oversees and maintains configuration management processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all Palo Alto security platforms.
• Utilizes Panorama for centralized policy management ensuring consistent and efficient configuration across a diverse fleet of physical and virtual firewalls.
• Configures and maintains master-level security profiles including App-ID User-ID Content-ID SSL Decryption and WildFire threat prevention.
• Oversees the reporting documentation and investigation of security-related incidents and leads the development of corrective measures.
• Acts as a liaison to contract/customer management and the government Designated Approving Authority (DAA) regarding network security status policies and procedures.
• Evaluates and reports on new and emerging network security technologies to enhance the capabilities performance and reliability of the network.
• Provides mentorship and technical oversight to junior engineers and acts as an escalation point for complex troubleshooting efforts.

Clearance Required: TS/SCI with ability to obtain a CI Poly.

Degree and Years of Experience: Bachelors degree in a related field (e.g. IT Cybersecurity Computer Science). Additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

• A minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience administering configuring and troubleshooting Palo Alto Networks NGFWs in large-scale enterprise/global environments.

Required Certifications:

• Must hold an active Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) certification.
• Must be DoD 8140.01 and DoD 8570.01-M IAT Level II compliant (e.g. Security CE).
• Must be able to successfully obtain/maintain a CSSP Infrastructure Support certification within 120 days of the start date.

Desired Certification:

• Advanced Certifications: Active Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Consultant (PCNSC) or Prisma Certified SASE Professional (PCSAE).

Required Skills:

• Legacy Systems Management: Deep practical knowledge of legacy Gen 2/Gen 3 hardware (e.g. PA-3000 PA-5000 series) including legacy CLI physical hardware troubleshooting and line-card replacements.
• Next-Gen & Cloud Security: Direct experience deploying and managing modern PAN-OS architectures including Prisma Access (SASE) Prisma SD-WAN and virtual firewalls (VM-Series) in public/private cloud environments (AWS Azure or GCP).
• Centralized Administration: Proven expertise utilizing Panorama for centralized policy management template/device group inheritance and pushing configurations across a hybrid fleet.
• Network Foundations: Advanced understanding of core networking protocols critical to firewall routing and legacy-to-modern transitions specifically BGP OSPF IPSec VPNs and NAT.

Desired Skills:

• Automation & Scripting: Proficiency in Python and experience automating firewall deployment policy changes and configuration backups using Ansible Terraform or Palo Alto XML/REST APIs.
• Security Orchestration: Hands-on experience with Cortex XDR or Cortex XSOAR for automated threat response.
• Migration Tools: Proficiency using Palo Alto Networks Expedition to migrate and consolidate legacy rules to modern App-ID-based policies.
• Enterprise Architecture: Background in designing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) architectures across complex segment-isolated enterprise environments.
• Broader Experience: Experience with other security platforms and technologies such as F5 (APM AFM) Juniper SRX and Cisco FTD/ASA.

Abile Group founded in July 2004 to support the Intelligence Community and its contractors across Enterprise Analytics IT & Systems Engineering and Program & Project Management merged with Valiant Solutions in January 2026 - an established provider of cybersecurity technologies and services for Federal Agencies since 2005. Together this partnership creates a stronger more integrated cybersecurity organization with expanded opportunities for employees deeper technical collaboration and a unified mission. With significant experience serving the Federal Government we remain dedicated to our employees and clients and seek highperforming professionals who excel at providing guidance developing solutions and delivering implementation support that blends industry best practices with client expertise and Abiles broad technical capabilities.

Abile is committed to hiring the most qualified and best fit person for the job - always has always will. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodations should email with requested details. A member of the HR team will respond to your request within 2 business days.

Please review our current job openings and apply for the positions you believe may be a fit. If you are not an immediate fit we will also keep your resume in our database for future opportunities.