Network Firewall Administrator (Information Technology Specialist II)

Job Description and Duties This position is eligible to telework up to five (5) days a week, in accordance with the Statewide Telework Policy, and will be required to report to the office as needed/required. This is subject to change based on operational need and/or future return to office orders. The successful candidate must reside in California upon appointment. Excellence in the Business of Government! Come join a team that creates: • A collaborative team atmosphere founded upon ethics, integrity, and stewardship. • A positive work environment that is open to change and invites its workforce to challenge processes. • An opportunity for individuals to utilize their knowledge, skills, and experience to grow within the department. Under general direction of the Information Technology (IT) Manager I, the IT Specialist II in the Department of General Services, Enterprise Technology Solutions within the System Engineering domain, in the Enterprise Infrastructure Services Section, acts as the team leader and subject matter expert on the enterprise firewalls and network infrastructure for DGS, leading the design, implementation, configuration, maintenance, monitoring, and administration of the enterprise Palo Alto Next Generation Firewalls and network infrastructure. This position is designated under the Conflict of Interest Code. The position is responsible for making or participating in the making of governmental decisions that may potentially have a material effect on personal financial interests. The appointee is required to complete Form 700 within 30 days of appointment and once per year. Per CCR 249.3, this job control may be used to fill subsequent vacancies. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment. The Department of General Services does not participaye in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes. If you’re interested in exploring additional job opportunities at DGS, please reach out to our recruitment team; we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at DGSRecruitment@dgs.ca.gov. Information about applying for a state job can be found here: Three Steps to a State Job. Please let us know how you learned about this career opportunity by taking the brief survey that follows: Click here to take the survey! You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement. Special Requirements • Employment History on the STD 678 (State Application) must be complete and include employment dates, accurate hours per week, total time worked, duties and responsibilities performed, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. License and Certification numbers included on the STD 678 must include issue date and expiration date. Failure to indicate issue and expiration dates will result in disqualification. Resumes or other documents cannot substitute the STD 678 (State Application). Applicants who fail to submit a completed STD 678 (State Application) may be disqualified. Only the most qualified candidates will be invited to an interview. • Applicants who completed their education outside of the United States (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of US course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at NACES | National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate: • Strong hands-on experience administering Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), including security policy management, NAT, App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID, and SSL decryption. • Proficiency with Prisma Access architecture, deployment models, onboarding of remote networks/mobile users, policy configuration, and troubleshooting. • Deep understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, IPSec, DHCP, DNS, SSL/TLS). • Experience with Panorama and Strata Cloud Manager for centralized management, templates, device groups, and configuration lifecycle. • Experience implementing and troubleshooting GlobalProtect VPN. • Familiarity with cloud integration (Azure, AWS), especially where Prisma Access or VM-Series firewalls are deployed. • Skill in using API/automation tools (Ansible, Terraform, Python) to manage Palo Alto infrastructure. • Proficiency with certificate management, including onboarding CAs and troubleshooting TLS issues. • Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities using tools like packet captures, CLI commands, and TAC-recommended methods. Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Your SOQ must be no longer than two pages, single-spaced, and not less than 12-point font. Resumes and cover letters do not take the place of the SOQ. Applications received without an SOQ will not be considered. The SOQ serves as a demonstration of your ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. It should supplement, not restate, the content of your resume and application. 1. Please share your experience designing, implementing, and managing on-prem and cloud firewall technologies. Provide examples of specific firewall platforms or services you have direct hands-on experience supporting. 2. Please explain how your network/firewall experience makes you the best candidate for this role as a Network Firewall Administrator specializing in Palo Alto Networks firewall administration.