Senior Network & Security Expert (Palo Alto / SASE / SD-WAN) - Freelance

Job description

Our client is a large international industrial group in the chemicals sector, operating manufacturing plants, research centres and offices worldwide. We are looking for a Senior Network and Security Expert to design, implement, optimise and support secure global network infrastructures across data centres, campuses, branch offices and cloud environments.

CONTEXT The group is modernising its network and security foundation around next-generation security, the SASE model and software-defined WAN, while maintaining and progressively migrating a legacy routing and switching estate. The role is a senior individual contributor position: real technical autonomy, arbitration between security requirements, operational constraints and business objectives, and direct hands-on involvement on complex incidents and level 3 escalations.

SCOPE

• Network security: Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls, security policy design, segmentation strategies, zero-trust principles, threat prevention, URL filtering, DNS security, SSL decryption, firewall lifecycle and rule optimisation.
• SASE and cloud security: Prisma Access environments for remote users and branches, GlobalProtect deployments, secure web gateway, zero trust network access, troubleshooting of complex access, authentication and connectivity issues.
• SD-WAN: design, deployment and operation of Prisma SD-WAN across global branch networks, application-aware routing policies, dynamic path selection, performance monitoring, automated failover, and coordination with service providers on underlay connectivity.
• Routing: enterprise BGP environments, static and dynamic routing, route redistribution, redundancy and traffic engineering across multi-site and hybrid-cloud environments, plus contribution to transformation and migration initiatives.
• Campus LAN and wireless: Cisco Catalyst switching, VLAN architecture, layer 2 and layer 3 services, high availability designs, Cisco wireless infrastructures, performance analysis and capacity planning.
• Operations and governance: level 3 and escalation support, network standards and technical documentation, change and problem management, major incident resolution, and technical mentoring of junior engineers.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years in enterprise networking and cybersecurity.
• Proven experience managing global multi-site environments.
• Strong troubleshooting across both network and security domains.
• Experience with cloud networking and hybrid architectures.
• Experience in multinational operational environments.

CERTIFICATIONS (valued, not mandatory) Palo Alto Networks PCNSA / PCNSE / Prisma certifications, Cisco CCNP Enterprise, CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure preferred. CISSP, CCSP, Azure Network Engineer Associate or AWS Advanced Networking Specialty are a plus.

CONDITIONS

• Freelance assignment, 6 months renewable.
• Start: as soon as possible.
• Location: Lyon, France, 2 to 3 days per week on site.
• Languages: English C1 (working language), fluent French for local teams.
• No travel expected.
• Daily rate: according to profile.

Requirements

Senior individual contributor with 10+ years in enterprise networking and cybersecurity. Deep hands-on expertise on Palo Alto Networks NGFW, Prisma Access and Prisma SD-WAN, solid BGP routing background, and Cisco Catalyst / wireless campus experience. Proven track record on global multi-site environments, strong level 3 troubleshooting, and the ability to mentor engineers. PCNSE and CCNP Enterprise valued, CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure a plus. English C1 required, working French needed for the local teams. On site in Lyon 2 to 3 days per week.