Cybersecurity Firewall Analyst III

Job Title: Cybersecurity Firewall Analyst III

Location: Hybrid, Charlotte, NC (3 days onsite/week)

• This position plays a key role in the SASE initiative by performing in-depth analysis, optimization, and cleanup of Palo Alto Networks security policies in preparation for migration to a Prisma Access / SASE architecture. The Analyst II will independently review complex rule bases, develop policy recommendations, and coordinate with business stakeholders to validate security requirements. This role serves as a technical bridge between the Analyst I and Analyst III, driving day-to-day execution of the policy review effort.

• Performs detailed analysis of Palo Alto Networks firewall security policies to identify optimization opportunities, including consolidation, tightening, and removal of unused or redundant rules.
• Evaluates existing egress internet policies and recommends cleanup actions aligned with best practices and the target SASE/Prisma Access architecture.
• Maps current firewall policy constructs (zones, address groups, application filters, security profiles) to their Prisma Access equivalents.
• Develops and documents policy migration recommendations, including rule-by-rule disposition (migrate, consolidate, retire, rewrite).
• Coordinates with business partners and IT teams to validate traffic flows, application dependencies, and rule ownership.
• Provides technical guidance and mentorship to Analyst I team members.
• Maintains comprehensive documentation of analysis findings, decisions, and migration readiness status.
• Contributes to the development of standardized processes, templates, and criteria for the policy review effort.
• Adheres to change management requirements and processes.
• Participates in project planning, status reporting, and stakeholder communications.
• Identifies and escalates complex policy conflicts or architectural questions to the Analyst III / project lead.

• 3–5 years of experience in firewall administration, network security, or a related cybersecurity role.
• Solid hands-on experience with Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls and Panorama management.
• Experience analyzing and optimizing large-scale firewall rule bases in an enterprise environment.
• Working knowledge of SASE/SSE concepts and Palo Alto Prisma Access is a plus.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, NAT, routing, and common network protocols.
• Ability to develop and refine firewall policy while balancing business requirements and security controls.
• Experience analyzing firewall security and traffic logs for policy validation.
• Palo Alto Networks PCNSA required; PCNSE preferred.
• CompTIA Security+ or equivalent preferred.
• Experience in a large enterprise or critical infrastructure environment preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to document findings clearly and present to stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to personal and team success.