Senior Zero Trust Engineer

Title: Senior Zero Trust Engineer

State Role Title: Salary Non-Specified

Hiring Range: $134,996 - $165,000

Pay Band: UG

Agency: Virginia Retirement System

Location: Virginia Retirement System

Agency Website: www.varetire.org/careers

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is seeking a highly skilled Senior Zero Trust Solutions Engineer to design, implement, and manage advanced security frameworks rooted in the Zero Trust model. This pivotal role requires deep expertise in next-generation firewalls, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), network segmentation, and identity-based access controls.

As a key member of our security team, you will collaborate across departments to enforce privacy and security policies, manage Zero Trust access to critical resources and services, and integrate with a wide array of security tools to ensure comprehensive protection across our network.

Zero Trust:
• Architect Zero Trust solutions based on requirements, including network segmentation, identity and access management (IAM), application controls, and data protection mechanisms.
• Lead the technical deployment and configuration of Zero Trust security tools and policies, ensuring proper integration with existing infrastructure.
• Remains current on Zero Trust concepts like "never trust, always verify," micro-segmentation, least privilege access, and continuous authentication.
Palo Alto:
• Architect and deploy Palo Alto firewalls in complex environments, including segmentation, application control, and security policies.
• Configuring advanced firewall features like URL filtering, intrusion prevention, and malware protection along with policy updates, firmware upgrades, and performance optimization.
• Troubleshoots network connectivity issues related to firewall configurations.
• Collaborate with other teams to integrate Palo Alto solutions with broader security infrastructure.
• Stay current with emerging cybersecurity threats and Palo Alto features to maintain best practices including application control, and advanced threat prevention.

Zscaler:
• Design, implement, and manage Zscaler security solutions to protect the enterprise.
• Monitor and manage security configurations for Zscaler services.
• Collaborate across the enterprise to ensure secure deployment and management of ZTNA
• Respond to and investigate security incidents and breaches involving Zscaler solutions.
• Implement and manage security policies and configurations within the Zscaler platform.
• Provide guidance and training to internal teams on Zscaler security best practices.
• Keep current with Zscaler security trends, threats, and technologies including Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA).

Security Operations:
• Respond to security incidents as a member of the incident response team.
• Review daily threats, identify risks, ensure appropriate mitigations are applied.
• Perform intrusion detection activities and risk mitigation.
• Work with IT team members to develop policies, enhance security standards, and harden IT systems.
• Implement appropriate countermeasures required based on alerts and security scans.
• Stay current on emerging security technologies and industry vulnerability bulletins
• Document results and recommendations from security reviews.
• Ensure the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of systems and services through proactive monitoring and response.
• Participate in Disaster Recovery Planning.
• Provide mentorship and training to junior team members.
• Evaluate effectiveness of services provided and recommend changes in procedures to meet security best practices.
• Ensure security tools are fully configured and providing operational value as part of a continuous improve process.
• Collaborate with technology leadership to develop KPI’s for security alerts and response
• Participate in on-call rotation that provides technology support outside of normal business hours.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a closely related field.

Ten (10) years of experience implementing information security architectures and best practices including complex security technologies as part of a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).


Project management, troubleshooting com