A large global organisation are seeking a Network Security Engineer to join their team in Rome. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise with firewall technologies. This will be a 12 months+ contract with the possibility for further extensions available. This position will be worked on a Partita Iva - Freelance basis. Hybrid On-Site presence is required (3 Days On-Site / 2 Days Remote) in Rome, Italy. The ideal candidate will speak fluent English & Italian. Key Responsibilities/Skills: Manage and maintain enterprise firewalls, including: Rule base creation and optimization Log analysis and troubleshooting Configuration and policy management Firmware and software upgrades Collaborate with network, system, and security teams to support infrastructure initiatives. Participate in incident response activities, providing expert analysis on firewall‑related events. Document configurations, procedures, and best practices. Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience administering and maintaining firewall platforms. Knowledge of network security principles, threat vectors, and mitigation strategies. Solid understanding of Networking fundamentals, including: Switching and routing concepts TCP/IP OSI model Basic network architecture and protocols Ability to analyse logs, troubleshoot connectivity and security issues, and propose corrective actions. Familiarity with change management processes and configuration lifecycle. Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills: Experience with Tufin Secure Track / Secure Change. Hands-on knowledge of Fortinet (FortiGate, Forti Manager, FortiAnalyzer) and/or Juniper (SRX, JunOS) technologies. Understanding of load balancers (e.g., F5, Citrix ADC, Kemp). Experience in automation or scripting for network/security tasks is a plus. Any relevant certifications (e.g., CCNA/CCNP Security) are considered a strong advantage.