Senior Network Security Engineer � WAAP

About the Role

Client is an innovative, dynamic company with a rich past and a promising future. Client has continuously reinvented itself. Today, Client is one of the world's leading technology companies providing networking, cloud, and security solutions for next-generation IT infrastructure.

This is an onsite position in Houston, TX. Rate: $50/hr on W2. WAAP (Web Application & API Protection) experience is a must.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate business and application security requirements into enterprise-grade WAAP and network security architectures.
• Develop and support solutions aligned with Client application security and defense-in-depth strategy.
• Lead architecture, design, and deployment of Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solutions across global environments.
• Develop and drive multi-year roadmap for application-layer security, including WAF, API security, bot protection, and DDoS mitigation.

WAAP Responsibilities (Primary Focus)

• Architect, implement, and manage WAAP platforms, including:
  • Web Application Firewall (WAF)
  • API Security (discovery, protection, runtime analysis)
  • Bot Management
  • DDoS Protection (L3–L7)
• Design and deploy WAAP solutions using platforms such as Thales Imperva, cloud-native WAFs (Azure, AWS WAF), or equivalent.
• Develop and maintain custom WAF rules, security policies, and signatures to protect critical applications.
• Perform false positive tuning, policy optimization, and rule lifecycle management.
• Enable API discovery, schema enforcement, and protection against OWASP API Top 10 threats.
• Integrate WAAP with SIEM/SOAR platforms, identity providers, and threat intelligence feeds.
• Collaborate with application teams to onboard applications into WAAP platforms, perform security assessments and risk reviews, and ensure minimal performance impact while enforcing strong security controls.
• Implement protection against OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities (SQLi, XSS, RCE, etc.).
• Lead WAAP incident response and root cause analysis for application-layer attacks.
• Define and track application security metrics and KPIs (attack trends, mitigation effectiveness).
• Ensure compliance with security frameworks (CIS, NIST, Zero Trust, data protection standards).

Core Network Security Responsibilities

• Architect and maintain secure network infrastructure across data center, campus, and cloud environments.
• Conduct security design reviews ensuring compliance with enterprise security standards.
• Provide risk reporting, control effectiveness, and security posture visibility.
• Support internal and external security audits.
• Manage and optimize Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems.
• Develop and maintain network security policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, infrastructure, and application teams globally.

Technical Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in network security architecture, engineering, and operations.

WAAP & Application Security Expertise (Mandatory)

• Strong experience with WAAP platforms (Akamai preferred; cloud WAF or equivalent accepted).
• Deep understanding of OWASP Top 10 (Web & API) and application-layer threats and mitigation techniques.
• Hands-on experience in:
  • WAF policy creation and tuning
  • API security controls (schema validation, authentication enforcement)
  • Bot mitigation strategies
  • DDoS protection architecture (L3–L7)
• Experience in traffic analysis (HTTP/HTTPS, TLS inspection) and behavioral-based threat detection.
• Strong understanding of secure application architectures (monolith, microservices, APIs).
• DevSecOps integration and CI/CD security controls (nice to have).

Network Security & Infrastructure

• Strong hands-on experience in firewalls (Fortinet, Palo Alto, Juniper), IDS/IPS, VPN, and SIEM.
• Expertise in firewall policy design, NAT, routing, inspection, and threat prevention.
• Experience designing secure hybrid (on-prem + cloud + internet-facing) environments.
• Experience in proxy architectures (forward/reverse) and secure internet gateways.

Networking & Protocol Expertise

• Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, TLS/SSL, and routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS).
• Experience with QoS, NetFlow, ACLs, NAT, IP traffic management, and network monitoring and analysis tools.

Cloud & Integration

• Experience securing applications in AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Familiarity with cloud-native WAF and API security tools.
• Integration experience with SIEM, EDR/XDR, and IAM platforms.

Data Center & Enterprise Networking

• Experience managing enterprise environments with Aruba, Arista, and Juniper switches, firewalls, load balancers, and WAN optimization tools.
• Understanding of high availability and performance optimization for application traffic.

Operations & Lifecycle Management

• Lead onboarding and lifecycle management of applications into WAAP platforms.
• Perform security tuning, upgrades, and optimization activities.
• Support incident response and threat mitigation at the application layer.
• Work within ITIL frameworks (incident, problem, change management).

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of experience in enterprise network security and application security.
• Preferred certifications: CCNP / CCIE / JNCIE, Security certifications (CISSP, CISM), Vendor certifications (Akamai, AWS Security, Azure Security).

Key Differentiators

• Positions WAAP as a primary security control layer, not an add-on.
• Strong alignment with application security and network security convergence and defense-in-depth strategy.
• Emphasizes API security (modern requirement) and Bot/DDoS protection (critical for internet-facing apps).
• Keeps a strong foundation in firewalls, SIEM, and network architecture.

Benefits

Danta offers a compensation package to all W2 employees that is competitive in the industry. It consists of competitive pay, the option to elect healthcare insurance (Dental, Medical, Vision), major holidays, and paid sick leave as per state law. The rate/salary range is dependent on numerous factors including qualification, experience, and location.

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.