Sr Subject Matter Expert (Support&Ops;)

Experience: 3 to 8 years

Location: Noida, India

Skills: Palo Alto Networks Firewalls (PAN-OS), Panorama, VPN technologies (IPSec / SSL VPN), Network protocols (TCP/IP, routing, switching), Log analysis & SIEM tools, Network security concepts (IDS/IPS, URL filtering, threat prevention), PCNSA, PCNSE, CEH, CISSP, CCNP Security

Job Summary
Role Overview The Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Administrator is responsible for managing, configuring, and maintaining Palo Alto security platforms (primarily firewalls) in an enterprise setting. The role ensures secure network operations, proactive threat mitigation, compliance adherence, and high availability of security infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities
1. Firewall Administration & Operations
Configure, manage, and maintain Palo Alto Networks firewalls (PAN-OS) across environments
Perform policy creation, rule base optimization, and access control management
Monitor firewall health, performance, and traffic logs and take corrective actions
Execute change management activities (add/modify/remove rules) as per approval workflows
? Supported by internal reference: firewall configuration, policy management, monitoring, troubleshooting [Urgent Req...M Research | Outlook]

2. Security Monitoring & Incident Response
Analyze logs and alerts via Palo Alto tools (e.g., Panorama, Cortex, SIEM integrations)
Respond to security incidents, intrusions, and network anomalies
Coordinate with SOC teams for incident triage and escalation handling
Conduct root cause analysis (RCA)



for security incidents and outages
? Supported by internal reference: incident response, RCA, SOC collaboration [Urgent Req...M Research | Outlook]

3. Configuration Management & Optimization
Perform advanced configuration: NAT policies
VPNs (IPSec/GlobalProtect)
Security zones, profiles, and objects
Optimize policies for performance, compliance, and risk reduction
Manage firmware upgrades, patches, and lifecycle management
? Supported by internal reference: upgrades, configuration, optimization [Urgent Req...M Research | Outlook]

4. Compliance & Governance
Ensure adherence to enterprise security policies and standards
Support audits (ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, internal audits)
Maintain documentation, SOPs, and audit trails
Validate configurations against security baselines

5. Collaboration & Support
Work with: Network engineering teams for design alignment
SOC teams for threat monitoring
Application teams for access requirements
Provide L2/L3 support and escalate issues where required
Participate in security reviews and CAB meetings
? Supported by internal reference: collaboration with IT and architecture teams [Urgent Req...M Research | Outlook]

6.



Continuous Improvement
Identify security gaps and recommend improvements
Stay updated with Palo Alto product updates and threat landscape
Support automation initiatives (e.g., rule lifecycle automation, compliance scripts)

Required Skills & Experience
Technical Skills
Strong experience in: Palo Alto Networks Firewalls (PAN-OS)
Panorama (centralized management)
VPN technologies (IPSec / SSL VPN)
Network protocols (TCP/IP, routing, switching)
Hands-on experience with: Log analysis & SIEM tools
Network security concepts (IDS/IPS, URL filtering, threat prevention)
Certifications (Preferred)
PCNSA / PCNSE (Palo Alto Certified)
Any security certifications (CEH, CISSP, CCNP Security – advantage)

Soft Skills
Strong analytical and troubleshooting mindset
Excellent communication and stakeholder management
Ability to work in 24x7 operational environments

Experience Profile
3–8 years (L2/L3 roles common)
Experience in enterprise-scale environments (multi-region, high availability)

Typical KPIs / Success Metrics
Firewall uptime and SLA adherence
Incident response time (MTTR)
Policy compliance and audit findings reduction
Change success rate

Value in Your Context
(HCL/BASF/DHL-type environments)
Given your current responsibilities in cybersecurity operations reviews and audit compliance, this role directly supports:
Prisma / Palo Alto stack management
Audit readiness (ISO, ECA, PCI-DSS)
Security governance and compliance reporting

📌 Sr Subject Matter Expert (Support&Ops) (Noida)
🏢 HCL Technologies
📍 Noida