Network Engineering Lead (Cisco / Palo Alto)

Network Engineering Lead (Cisco / Palo Alto)

Location: Phoenix, AZ 85034 - 100% Onsite (driving position, metro-area field sites, mileage reimbursed)

Job Type: Contract (W2 or 1099)

Duration: July 2026 – December 2026 (potential extension)

Pay Rate: $85–$93/hr W2, depending on experience (1099 option available)

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM, plus participation in 24/7 on-call standby rotation

About the Role: 

​SunSoft Online, a Phoenix-based technology consulting firm, is seeking a Network Engineering Lead to support a mission-critical public safety network for a municipal agency in Phoenix. You will lead implementation of active improvement projects, including deployment of Palo Alto firewalls to facilities across the region, OSPF/BGP routing changes to reduce failover times, and strengthening the resiliency and security of a 24/7 CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) network.

Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and manage Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Nexus, and Palo Alto Networks infrastructure (routers, switches, firewalls)
• Troubleshoot complex network issues, ensuring high availability of critical operations
• Perform configurations, upgrades, and patch management; monitor performance and run proactive health checks
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to network engineers
• Coordinate copper/fiber premise cabling, equipment installation, and access control/CCTV needs at field sites
• Maintain network architecture documentation and support capacity planning and budget input
• Collaborate with internal departments, vendors, and stakeholders with strong customer service

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of recent experience in planning, design, and maintenance of a large network
• Strong hands-on experience configuring/managing/troubleshooting Cisco IOS, Cisco Nexus, and Palo Alto NGFW with Panorama
• Routing protocols: BGP, OSPF, EIGRP; point-to-point VPNs, IPsec, NAT, QoS
• Experience supervising a small team and supporting 24/7 critical operations (public safety environment preferred)
• Familiarity with Splunk, ServiceNow, Jira, and SolarWinds Orion
• CCNP, Palo Alto Networks NGFW Engineer, or similar certification
• Must be currently local to the Phoenix metro area, available for an in-person interview within one week, and able to start within two weeks of offer
• Valid driver's license required