This position is based in Leawood, Kansas or Dallas, Texas This position pays $125,700. annuallyRole OverviewWe are looking for a
Senior Network & Security Engineer to serve as the primary
hands-on technical owner of our enterprise network and security infrastructure. You will be responsible for the day-to-day operation, performance, and security of our
Fortinet security platform and
Cisco switching environment across a globally distributed manufacturing organization.
This is an
execution-focused role-not a strategy or management position. The CIO retains ownership of cybersecurity strategy and roadmap, supported by external vCISO advisory for independent oversight and board-level guidance. Your job is to
make the infrastructure work, keep it secure, and keep it documented. You will be the go-to technical expert the CIO relies on to execute security and network initiatives, triage and respond to incidents, and maintain operational excellence.
This role operates within a
lean, highly collaborative IT organization where everyone wears multiple hats. The ideal candidate thrives on hands-on work-configuring firewalls, managing switches, troubleshooting network issues, and responding to security events, maintaining documentation and collaborating with colleagues.
Key ResponsibilitiesSecurity Operations & Fortinet Platform Ownership- Own and operate the Fortinet security platform for network segmentation, threat prevention, and secure remote access, including:
- FortiGate firewalls, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiAuthenticator, FortiWeb
- FortiClient endpoint protection managed via FortiClient EMS
- VPN (site-to-site and remote access), IDS/IPS, web filtering, and security policies
- Monitor security events and logs; triage, respond to, and remediate security incidents. Escalate with clear technical summaries and recommended actions.
- Continuously tune and harden firewall rules and security controls to reduce attack surface while maintaining business-critical connectivity.
- Execute vulnerability scans, track remediation efforts, and coordinate patching with internal teams and external partners.
- Assess, segment, and monitor OT/ICS networks across manufacturing sites to reduce risk while preserving operational continuity.
- Execute incident response plans, participate in tabletop exercises, and document post-incident lessons learned.
- Support compliance, audit, and cyber-insurance requirements by maintaining security controls and producing evidence as needed.
- Support evaluating, onboarding, and overseeing managed security operations (SOC) services.
Network Infrastructure Management- Own the day-to-day operation, performance, and reliability of the globally distributed enterprise network.
- Administer and optimize the enterprise Cisco switching environment including VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, and port security.
- Execute network upgrades, capacity planning, and lifecycle management.
- Troubleshoot and resolve network issues across LAN, WAN, and remote-access environments.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date network documentation, diagrams, and configuration standards.
Collaboration & Communication- Serve as the primary technical resource for networking and security within the IT team.
- Coordinate with managed service providers to ensure SLAs are met and security standards are maintained.
- Evaluate and recommend third-party vendors and security tools.
- Communicate technical status, risks, and recommendations clearly.
Required Qualifications- 5+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering and security operations, with demonstrated ownership of infrastructure and security tooling.
- Strong hands-on experience with the Fortinet ecosystem (FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiClient EMS, VPN, IDS/IPS).
- Hands-on experience managing Cisco switching environments including VLANs, trunking, and general LAN/WAN troubleshooting.
- Solid operational experience with security monitoring, vulnerability management, and incident response execution.
- Experience supporting networks in manufacturing or OT-adjacent environments is a strong plus.
- Ability to communicate technical issues clearly and concisely to IT leadership.
- Comfortable working in a small, lean, collaborative IT organization where self-direction, prioritization, and pragmatism are essential.
Preferred Qualifications- Fortinet certifications, particularly NSE 4 (FortiOS), NSE 5 (FortiManager/FortiAnalyzer), NSE 6 (FortiClient EMS, OT Security); NSE 7 Enterprise Firewall is a strong differentiator
- Cisco certifications (e.g., CCNP, CCNA)
- Security certifications such as Security+, CySA+, or GSEC
- Experience in Azure/Entra integrated environments
- Experience working in globally distributed or multi-region IT environments
What Success Looks Like (First 12-18 Months)- Network and security infrastructure is stable, well-documented, and consistently maintained.
- Fortinet platform is fully optimized-firewall rules tuned, security policies hardened, logging and alerting operational.
- OT network segmentation assessed and hardened across manufacturing sites.
- Managed SOC partner successfully onboarded and integrated (in partnership with CIO).
- CIO can confidently delegate day-to-day network and security operations to this role.
- vCISO engagement scoped and initiated to provide independent security oversight, roadmap validation, and board-level reporting.
- Opportunity to own and operate the full network and security stack for a global manufacturing organization.
- Direct access to the CIO-no layers of management between you and decision-makers.
- Modern Fortinet security stack with executive support for continued investment.
- High-impact role where your work directly protects the business.
- Collaborative, lean IT environment that values pragmatism, accountability, and getting things done over bureaucracy.
