Firewall Specialist- Bloemfontein at Optimal Growth Technologies

Role Overview

• We are looking for an experienced WAN, Check Point Firewall & Azure Networking Engineer to join our technology team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design, implementation, administration, monitoring, troubleshooting and optimisation of enterprise network and security environments.
• The role requires strong hands-on experience across WAN technologies, Check Point firewalls and Microsoft Azure networking, with a focus on network availability, performance, security and resilience.

Key Responsibilities

WAN & Network Infrastructure

• Design, configure and support enterprise WAN and LAN network environments.
• Manage WAN connectivity, routing and network performance.
• Troubleshoot complex network connectivity and performance issues.
• Configure and manage routing protocols such as BGP and OSPF.
• Monitor network availability, capacity and performance.
• Work with service providers to resolve connectivity and circuit-related incidents.
• Support network changes, upgrades and migrations.
• Ensure network infrastructure meets availability, performance and security requirements.

Check Point Firewall

• Install, configure, administer and maintain Check Point firewalls.
• Manage firewall policies, NAT, VPNs, access rules and security configurations.
• Perform firewall rule reviews and optimisation.
• Troubleshoot firewall and network security incidents.
• Monitor firewall performance, logs and security events.
• Implement security changes in accordance with change management processes.
• Support high-availability firewall environments.
• Ensure firewall configurations comply with organisational security standards.

Azure Networking

• Design, implement and support Microsoft Azure networking environments.
• Configure and manage:
• Azure Virtual Networks (VNet)
• Subnets
• Network Security Groups (NSGs)
• Azure Firewall
• Route Tables / UDRs
• VPN Gateway
• ExpressRoute
• Load Balancers
• Private Endpoints
• VNet Peering
• Support hybrid connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and Azure.
• Troubleshoot Azure network connectivity and routing issues.
• Assist with Azure network migrations and cloud transformation initiatives.
• Implement secure and scalable Azure network architectures.

Technical Requirements

• Strong hands-on experience with WAN technologies and enterprise networking.
• Strong Check Point Firewall administration and troubleshooting experience.
• Strong Microsoft Azure Networking experience.
• Good understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPN and network security.
• Experience with BGP, OSPF and routing protocols.
• Experience with network monitoring and troubleshooting tools.
• Understanding of high availability and disaster recovery principles.
• Experience supporting hybrid cloud environments.
• Strong knowledge of network security principles and best practices.

Qualifications & Certifications

• Relevant degree, diploma or technical qualification in IT, Networking or a related field.
• Check Point certification such as CCSA/CCSE would be advantageous.
• Microsoft Azure networking certification such as AZ-700 would be advantageous.
• Cisco certification such as CCNA/CCNP would be beneficial.

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent problem-solving ability.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure in a production environment.
• Strong documentation and reporting skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a technical team.
• Strong understanding of ITIL and change management processes.
• Excellent attention to detail and security awareness.

Experience

• 8+ years' experience in enterprise networking and infrastructure.
• Proven experience supporting WAN environments.
• Strong hands-on Check Point Firewall experience.
• Strong experience with Azure Networking and hybrid cloud environments.
• Experience working in large, complex enterprise environments is advantageous.