Principal Engineer Network Security

Verizon Verizon · Telecom · Ashburn, VA +8

Principal Engineer, Network Security at Verizon. This role focuses on securing and hardening Verizon's Telemetry networks. Responsibilities include designing and implementing network security solutions, acting as a security subject matter expert, driving continuous improvement in network visibility, conducting threat hunting, and leading incident response. The role also involves analyzing logs and configurations, developing detection logic, and leveraging automation tools like Python and Ansible for security audits. Requires expertise in network protocols, SIEM tools (Splunk), and security frameworks.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of cutting-edge network security solutions to address technology gaps.
  2. Act as the security subject matter expert in network design reviews, ensuring that all network assets meet stringent carrier-grade security standards and embed secure design patterns.
  3. Drive continuous improvement of network visibility and telemetry collection, conduct proactive threat hunting, and serve as escalation support for network security incidents.
  4. Execute root cause analysis for incidents, perform regular security control assessments, and lead strategic security solution implementation in a highly scalable environment.
  5. Design, develop, and refine high-fidelity detection logic to identify adversarial behavior across the network.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field or four or more years of work experience.
  • Six or more years of relevant experience required
  • Expert-level experience in securing/hardening networks in multi-vendor environments (Cisco IOS-XR/XE, Palo Alto, F5, Arista).
  • Proven ability to leverage TCP/IP internals, DNS security, and flow-based analysis (NetFlow/IPFIX) to baseline network behavior and intercept sophisticated lateral movement.
  • Strong practical experience with Splunk/SIEM tools is necessary for data analysis, dashboard creation, alerting, automation, risk-based alerting, managing notable events, and defining/tuning correlation searches.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills are required
  • ability to lead and manage cross-functional projects
  • build consensus
  • resolve conflict
  • negotiate
  • strong analytical, communication, and programming skills.

Nice to have

  • Possession of a CCIE (Service Provider or Security) or Nokia NRS II/SRA is required.
  • Additional certifications such as CISSP, CompTIA Security+, OSCP, CCNP, CCIE, or CCNA are beneficial.
  • Expertise in using Python, Ansible, or Terraform to automate network device configurations and operations.
  • Competence in using Splunk or Elasticsearch for network data analysis, creating dashboards, setting up alerts, and handling large-scale internet data sources (Netflow, BGP, DNS, IDS logs).
  • Knowledge of Firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, DDoS mitigation, encryption technologies (IPsec, TLS), identifying vulnerabilities in RAN, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools like Splunk.
  • Familiarity with Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, the system development lifecycle, mitigating network/system/application layer attacks, and working with SQL/NoSQL databases and UNIX/Linux operating systems.
  • Strong organizational, project management, and written/verbal communication abilities
  • capacity to collaborate with various stakeholders
  • demonstrate leadership and mentoring skills.
  • Fluency in security frameworks, particularly the application of CIS Benchmarks (Le

What the JD emphasized

  • security implementation beyond a standard firewall scope
  • deep expertise in network protocols
  • hands-on experience with routers/switches
  • strong focus on automation
  • threat detection
  • incident response
  • continuous security validation
  • strategic direction
  • architectural patterns
  • stringent carrier-grade security standards
  • secure design patterns
  • network visibility
  • telemetry collection
  • proactive threat hunting
  • escalation support
  • root cause analysis
  • security control assessments
  • strategic security solution implementation
  • highly scalable environment
  • high-fidelity detection logic
  • adversarial behavior
  • technical documentation
  • Playbooks
  • Confluence pages
  • Network diagrams
  • Method of Procedures (MOPs)
  • security architecture
  • policy implementation
  • incident response
  • integrate security principles early into the development lifecycle
  • custom automation
  • Python
  • Ansible playbooks
  • automated audits
  • security benchmarks
  • zero configuration drift
  • lateral movement
  • exfiltration
  • persistence
  • MITRE ATT&CK framework
  • network logs
  • configurations
  • vulnerabilities
  • proactive mitigations
  • comprehensive assessment reports
  • prioritized recommendations
  • remediations
  • mentor
  • guide
  • delegate technical documentation/tasks
  • support the team
  • broader organization
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field or four or more years of work experience.
  • Six or more years of relevant experience required
  • demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
  • Expert-level experience in securing/hardening networks in multi-vendor environments (Cisco IOS-XR/XE, Palo Alto, F5, Arista).
  • Proven ability to leverage TCP/IP internals, DNS security, and flow-based analysis (NetFlow/IPFIX) to baseline network behavior and intercept sophisticated lateral movement.
  • Strong practical experience with Splunk/SIEM tools is necessary for data analysis, dashboard creation, alerting, automation, risk-based alerting, managing notable events, and defining/tuning correlation searches.
  • Familiarity with Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions is also beneficial.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills are required
  • ability to lead and manage cross-functional projects
  • build consensus
  • resolve conflict
  • negotiate
  • strong analytical, communication, and programming skills.
  • CCIE (Service Provider or Security) or Nokia NRS II/SRA is required.
  • Additional certifications such as CISSP, CompTIA Security+, OSCP, CCNP, CCIE, or CCNA are beneficial.
  • Expertise in using Python, Ansible, or Terraform to automate network device configurations and operations.
  • Competence in using Splunk or Elasticsearch for network data analysis, creating dashboards, setting up alerts, and handling large-scale internet data sources (Netflow, BGP, DNS, IDS logs).
  • Knowledge of Firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, DDoS mitigation, encryption technologies (IPsec, TLS), identifying vulnerabilities in RAN, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools like Splunk.
  • Familiarity with Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, the system development lifecycle, mitigating network/system/application layer attacks, and working with SQL/NoSQL databases and UNIX/Linux operating systems.
  • Strong organizational, project management, and written/verbal communication abilities
  • capacity to collaborate with various stakeholders
  • demonstrate leadership and mentoring skills.
  • Fluency in security frameworks, particularly the application of CIS Benchmarks (Le