Network and Firewall Administrator - Hybrid

The National Fire Protection Association's mission is to help save lives and reduce loss with information, knowledge and passion. Established in 1896, we are dedicated to the elimination of death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The Association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. To better meet the needs of those who rely on our information and knowledge to keep people and property safe, we are amidst a transformation to expand our influence and further our safety mission. We are becoming increasingly digital and global to grow, thrive and save more lives from fire, electrical and other hazards. To accomplish this, we need effective leaders at all levels of the Association who understand what we are striving for, why it is important, how to execute our vision and who passionately want to see NFPA through this important stage. It is an exciting and empowering time to work at NFPA.

The NFPA is looking to add a Network and Firewall Administrator to our team. This person will be responsible for managing, monitoring, and securing NFPA's network and firewall systems. This role involves configuring network devices, implementing firewall policies, troubleshooting network issues, and ensuring optimal network performance and security. The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of network protocols, firewall technologies, and network security best practices as well as an understanding of security and is available to provide on site support of these initiatives 1-2 days per week in our Quincy MA location.

Key Responsibilities:

Network Administration:

• Manage and maintain the organization's network infrastructure, including routers, switches, wireless access points, Firewalls, and related network equipment. This includes on site support to manage switch/WifI Access Points as needed.
• Monitor network performance and availability to ensure optimal uptime, identifying and resolving bottlenecks or performance issues.
• Configure and manage VLANs, QoS, load balancing, IPSEC, Remote SSL-VPN, and other network technologies to optimize traffic flow and security.
• Perform regular network maintenance, including firmware updates, patches, and configuration backups.

Firewall Management:

• Configure and monitor as well as manage firewalls configurations to secure the network. Understanding of tactics to troubleshooting as it relates to firewalls.
• Implement and maintain firewall rules and policies to prevent unauthorized access and mitigate security risks.
• Monitor firewall logs for suspicious activity, investigating and responding to potential security threats.
• Conduct regular firewall audits to ensure compliance with internal security policies and external regulatory requirements.

Security and Access Control:

• Implement and enforce network security policies, including ACLs, DLP, IPS, SSL-VPN& IPsec tunnels
• Maintain secure remote access solutions and manage user access controls for network resources in cloud (Azure, AWS)
• Ensure that the NFPA's network security posture is maintained by conducting regular vulnerability assessments and addressing any identified risks.
• Administrate and monitor EDR, and MDR polices.
• Staying up to date with security trends and emerging threats to recommend and implement proactive security measures.

Troubleshooting and Support:

• Diagnose and resolve network connectivity issues, including LAN/WAN, VPN, and firewall-related problems.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting for network and firewall incidents, escalating complex issues when necessary.
• Collaborate with other IT teams to resolve network-related support tickets and provide timely solutions to end-users.
• Conduct root cause analysis for recurring network issues and recommend solutions to prevent future occurrences.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of network configurations, firewall rules, and security protocols.
• Create network diagrams, reports, and logs related to network performance, firewall changes, and security incidents.
• Provide regular reports on firewall activity, network performance, and any potential security threats to IT management.
• Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards and regulatory requirements through comprehensive documentation and audit trails.

Disaster Recovery and Redundancy:

• Design and implement network redundancy and failover solutions to ensure business continuity in case of network failures.
• Work with the IT team to ensure that disaster recovery plans are in place and that network systems can be quickly restored in the event of an outage.
• Regularly test backup systems and network failover solutions to ensure readiness.
• Monitor and configure HA pairs for firewalls.
• Monitor and make adjustments to SD-WAN.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in network administration, firewall management
• Proficiency with network protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, etc.) and routing technologies.
• Familiar with Cloud SaaS firewalls and ACLs.
• Able to work after-hours.
• Able to respond to alerts.
• Strong expertise in firewall technologies such as Cisco ASA and Fortinet
• Hands-on experience with network security tools and concepts, such as VPNs, IPS/IDS, DLP and access control.
• CCNA, and Net+

Skills:

• Solid understanding of network and security protocols.
• Knowledge of firewall configuration and network security best practices.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.