Associate Network Security Engineer

Associate Network Security Engineer

Cary, NC • Hybrid

Our client is seeking an Associate Cybersecurity Engineer for a 12‑month contract, with potential for permanent conversion, to support the Information Security organization. This role focuses on monitoring network security activities and operating and optimizing security infrastructure. The engineer will drive policy, rule, and architecture improvements to prevent and remediate incidents, perform security configuration changes, and collaborate with IT and business stakeholders on triage. The position emphasizes enterprise firewalls, SASE and ZTNA, identity and access management, Microsoft security tooling, and process development aligned to best practices and regulatory requirements.

Rate: $42.00 - $48.00 per hour W2

• Monitor network security activities and maintain oversight of security infrastructure.
• Implement, monitor, and manage enterprise firewall solutions, including NGFW, to enforce network security policies.
• Operate and configure SASE capabilities including secure web gateways, ZTNA, and CASB.
• Execute security configuration changes and support incident prevention and remediation through policy, rule, and architecture optimization.
• Collaborate with IT and business stakeholders on security triage and operational support.
• Leverage Microsoft Security Suite such as Defender for Endpoint, Sentinel, and Entra/Azure AD across on‑premises and cloud environments.
• Develop and refine procedures, policies, and processes aligned with best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Recommend remediation measures to improve security posture and reduce risk.
• Communicate security concepts to cross‑functional teams and stakeholders.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• 3+ years in cloud or network security engineering, security operations, insider risk management, or security event management.
• Hands‑on experience with identity, firewall, cloud, and SIEM tools such as Microsoft Azure, Okta, Duo, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Zscaler, Windows Defender, OCI, and Sentinel.
• Ability to convey complex information risk and security issues in an actionable manner.
• Demonstrated judgment, urgency, ethical standards, regulatory awareness, customer service, and business integrity.
• Preferred proficiency with automation or scripting such as Ansible, Python, KQL, or PowerShell.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to work cross‑functionally with network, cloud, infrastructure, and application teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and deliver in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to accommodate approximately 5% travel.