Senior Network Security Engineer (R&D, Next-Gen Firewall)

About This Role

We are seeking a visionary and highly skilled Senior Network Security Developer to join our core Research & Development (R&D) team. This is not a typical role. You will be at the heart of a strategic initiative to design and build our company's Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) platform from the ground up. The ideal candidate is a creative thinker and a hands-on builder, passionate about leveraging open-source technologies and developing novel algorithms to solve complex security challenges.

Your primary mission will be to architect a new software stack that deeply integrates and extends the OPNsense platform via its APIs, creating a robust, scalable, and market-leading security solution.

Key Responsibilities

Next-Gen Firewall Architecture & Development

• Lead the architectural design of a new Next-Gen Firewall, starting from the foundational components and building from the ground up.
• Develop and prototype new security algorithms, modules and data processing pipelines for advanced threat detection, application control, and content filtering.
• Have a deep understanding of Data Loss Prevention technologies.
• Integrate various open-source tools and third-party services into a cohesive, high-performance software stack.

OPNsense Integration & Extension

• Serve as the subject matter expert on OPNsense, with a deep focus on its internal architecture and API capabilities.
• Design and develop custom modules and services that extend OPNsense's core functionality to meet our product requirements.
• Build robust integrations between our proprietary software stack and the OPNsense platform using its REST APIs for configuration, data extraction, and control.

Research & Innovation

• Conduct forward-looking research into emerging network security threats, encryption standards, and high-performance data plane technologies.
• Evaluate and benchmark new open-source projects, security algorithms, and hardware platforms to ensure our NGFW remains on the cutting edge.
• Build proof-of-concept (PoC) environments to validate new architectural designs and innovative features before full-scale development.

Essential Requirements

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in a Network Security R&D or product development environment . Experience in building security products is highly preferred over operating them.

Core Technical Expertise:

• Expert-level experience with OPNsense , specifically focused on development and integration . You must demonstrate experience using the OPNsense API (REST) to programmatically develop, extend, and integrate it into a new software stack.
• Strong software development skills with proficiency in Java or Go . You should be comfortable designing and building microservices, APIs, and complex backend systems.
• Advanced scripting and automation skills using Python or Bash for rapid prototyping, testing, and building development tools.
• Deep, architectural understanding of IDS/IPS engines ( Suricata/Snort ) and Proxy/Cache systems ( Squid ), with experience integrating them as components in a larger system.

Foundational Knowledge:

• Deep understanding of firewall architecture , including packet flow, state management, and data plane vs. control plane separation.
• Strong command of TCP/IP, routing (OSPF, BGP), switching (VLANs), and VPN technologies (IPsec, SSL VPN).
• Proficiency with packet analysis tools ( Wireshark, tcpdump ) for debugging complex issues at the protocol level during the development cycle.
• A mindset geared towards innovation, experimentation, and solving problems from first principles.