Firewall Engineer Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

About GDLS:

General Dynamics Land Systems builds the combat vehicles and integrated technologies that give soldiers a decisive advantage. We design, engineer and sustain advanced tracked and wheeled systems paired with modern electronic architecture, AI-enabled capabilities and autonomy-ready technology. From Abrams to LAV, Stryker to AJAX, robotic platforms to software solutions and beyond, our portfolio delivers proven performance and future-ready modernization for customers around the world. Join the people who design, build and advance the systems that protect those who protect us. Our teams see beyond the horizon, solving problems before they become challenges.

Bring your talent. Bring your purpose.

Let’s shape the future of General Dynamics Land Systems together.

Description

 The Firewall Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining secure network boundaries that protect both corporate IT and plant floor OT systems. The role ensures high availability, strong segmentation, and compliance across multiple manufacturing and engineering sites where uptime, safety and reliability are critical.

 Responsibilities 

• Design, deploy and maintain enterprise firewalls (Palo Alto) across plants data center and cloud.
• Design and implement IT/OT/IIoT segmentation, Zero Trust principles and least-privilege access.
• Create, review, optimize and retire firewall rules to reduce risk and technical debt.
• Partner with controls engineers, MES/SCADA teams and Plant IT to secure PLCs, robots, sensors and industrial controls.
• Investigate firewall related alerts, blocks, traffic and anomalies; support SOC and IR teams.
• Maintain HA pairs, clustering, redundancy and failover for mission critical production networks.
• Use Panorama to monitor health, performance and security posture.
• Install, configure, and maintain Citrix Netscaler or ADC appliances and WAF components.
• Develop and enforce WAF security policies, rulesets, and signatures to protect web applications.
• Continuously monitor WAF logs, alerts, and system performance to detect anomalies or potential attacks.
• Investigate and resolve WAF events, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
• Diagnose and resolve technical issues related to traffic routing, SSL certificates, application delivery, and integration with backend systems.
• Execute changes following ITIL processes, maintenance windows, and plant production schedules.
• Ensure firewall configurations meet international standards and external requirements (ISO 27001, NIST, TISAX, CMMC)
• Work with integrators, service providers and equipment vendors during expansions and upgrades. 

Position Requirements

 Formal Education & Certification

• Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or related is preferred. 
• Experience will be considered in lieu of degree.  
• 10 years of experience as a network engineer delivering infrastructure design and operational excellence. 
• Certifications in Palo Alto or NetScaler networking products are preferred. 

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience managing Palo Alto Networks security appliances and enterprise network security.
• Experience in supporting enterprise WAF solutions, preferably Citrix NetScaler/AppFirewall.
• Experience with design, development, and deployment of enterprise wide Zero Trust strategies in alignment with organizational objectives and compliance standards (NIST SP 800-207).
• Stronge experience with Firewalls, VPNS, NAT, routing and secure connectivity.
• Understanding of OT protocols (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus/TCP) and plant floor networks.
• Strong understanding of HTTP/HTTPS protocols, web application security, and OWASP Top 10 threats.
• Experience with SSL/TLS, load balancing, and application delivery concepts.
• Proven ability to analyze logs and troubleshoot network or WAF-related issues.
• Ability to automate audits, configs, and reporting using Python, Ansible or vendor APIs.
• Familiarity with cloud firewalls and hybrid connectivity.
• Knowledge of security frameworks such as CMMC, TISAX, etc.
• Knowledge of applicable data privacy practices, regulations and laws. 

Personal Attributes 

• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Able to conduct research into networking issues and products as required.
• Ability to present ideas in user-friendly language.
• Highly self-motivated and directed, with keen attention to detail.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Able to effectively prioritize tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment. 

Work Conditions 

• 9/80 work week and on-call availability
• 5% business travel
• Sitting for extended periods of time.
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, power tools, and to handle other computer components.
• Lifting and transporting moderately heavy objects, such as switches, routers, firewalls and UPS’s.
• Ability to obtain security clearance.