Lead Network Security Engineer/ Architect- freelance - hybrid, London, UK
Comgent · Greater London, England, United Kingdom
IT Services and IT Consulting · 11-50 employees
About the role
The role involves engineering and operating firewall, proxy, and load balancing platforms while designing secure network segmentation strategies. You will also be responsible for delivering technical documentation, managing vendor relationships, and driving automation across security workflows.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must have hands-on expertise with Palo Alto, FortiGate, and F5 platforms alongside strong L2-L7 troubleshooting skills. Experience in regulated environments, specifically financial services, and proficiency in Cisco ACI security design are required.
Full description
Reports to Head of Data Centre and Network Services.
Responsibilities:
- Engineer and operate firewall platforms (Palo Alto, FortiGate), F5 BIG-IP, IPS, and proxy/SWG solutions — including rule lifecycle management, policy optimisation, and senior incident response
- Design and enforce macro/micro-segmentation strategies across Cisco ACI, firewall-based, and hybrid fabric models
- Architect secure proxy, TLS inspection, and Zero Trust connectivity patterns for on-prem, cloud, and hybrid traffic flows
- Deliver HLDs, LLDs, runbooks, and design standards; provide technical sign-off and risk assessments for major programmes
- Support compliance and audit with traceable, governance-aligned documentation
- Engage vendors (Palo Alto, Fortinet, F5) and stakeholders across Infrastructure, Cyber Security, and Risk
- Drive automation and improvement across rule management, ACI workflows, and compliance validation
Requirements
- Hands-on expertise with Palo Alto, FortiGate, F5 BIG-IP, and proxy/SWG platforms
- Strong L2–L7 troubleshooting and incident leadership
- Cisco ACI security and policy design experience
- Regulated environment experience (e.g., financial services) with strong audit documentation skills
- Preferred: Cloud security (Azure/AWS), SASE/Zero Trust transformation, automation via Python, Ansible, or IaC
