Zero Trust Security Engineer

Job#: Position Details Role: Zero Trust Security Engineer Location: Pensacola, FL or McLean, VA (Hybrid) Assignment Type: Contract Only Duration: Approximately 18 months Role Overview The Zero Trust Cyber Security Engineer is an execution‑focused security professional responsible for turning Zero Trust designs into fully enforced, auditable security controls. This role serves as the single point of accountability for implementing firewall and security rules across enterprise environments, ensuring access is granted correctly, unauthorized traffic is blocked, and every change is verifiable. This is an ideal opportunity for engineers who enjoy hands‑on firewall work, cross‑team coordination, and delivering clean, right‑the‑first‑time security implementations. Key Responsibilities Translate Zero Trust analysis and requirements into formal firewall and security rule requests Submit detailed, production‑ready requests defining: Source users, groups, roles, or identities Destination applications, services, and addresses Required ports, protocols, and application IDs Ensure all requests meet firewall engineering standards and contain complete technical details Act as the primary liaison between Zero Trust, IAM, firewall engineering, and application teams Track firewall requests from submission through implementation and closure Validate that implemented rules exactly match approved Zero Trust requirements Perform post‑implementation testing to confirm: Authorized access works as expected Unauthorized access is fully blocked Identify and remediate misconfigurations, partial implementations, or policy drift Ensure rules are properly documented, tagged, and traceable for audit and compliance Maintain implementation records and support ongoing rule lifecycle refinement Qualifications Hands‑on experience with enterprise firewalls (Palo Alto strongly preferred) Strong understanding of user‑based and application‑aware firewall policies Experience submitting, managing, and validating firewall rule requests in enterprise environments Ability to troubleshoot access issues and confirm enforcement accuracy Strong communication and coordination skills across technical teams Preferred Qualifications Experience implementing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions Familiarity with IAM concepts, Entra ID / AD groups, and RBAC models Experience integrating firewall rules with application onboarding frameworks Knowledge of audit, compliance, and security reporting requirements Compensation and Benefits The pay rate for this position is between $60.00 and $73.00 per hour. Please note that the final rate may be contingent on experience and other factors. EEO Statement This employer is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr