Cisco IronPort SME Engineer- remote

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Cisco IronPort (Cisco Secure Email Gateway) Subject Matter Expert (SME) to lead and support enterprise email security environments. The ideal candidate will have current, hands-on experience administering Cisco IronPort/Cisco Secure Email Gateway platforms and a proven track record of planning and executing email gateway migrations, upgrades, and modernization initiatives.

This role requires deep technical expertise in email security, mail flow architecture, spam and malware protection, email encryption, policy management, and migration projects involving on-premises, hybrid, and cloud-based email security solutions.

Key Responsibilities
Serve as the primary SME for Cisco IronPort / Cisco Secure Email Gateway environments.
Design, implement, administer, and optimize enterprise email security infrastructure.
Lead migrations between Cisco IronPort platforms, hardware refreshes, virtual appliances, and cloud-based email security gateways.
Assess existing email gateway configurations and develop migration, cutover, rollback, and validation plans.
Configure and manage:
oMail Flow Policies
oIncoming/Outgoing Mail Policies
oAnti-Spam and Anti-Malware Controls
oURL Filtering
oDLP Policies
oEmail Encryption
oContent Filters

oMessage Tracking and Reporting
Integrate IronPort with Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Exchange On-Premises, LDAP, Active Directory, SIEM, and Security Operations platforms.
Perform software upgrades, patching, certificate renewals, and platform lifecycle management.
Troubleshoot complex mail flow, delivery, security, and performance issues.
Participate in change management processes and execute production changes during maintenance windows.
Create and maintain technical documentation, implementation guides, and operational procedures.
Provide knowledge transfer and mentoring to operations and engineering teams.
Work directly with customers, project managers, and security teams to ensure successful project delivery.

Required Qualifications
5+ years of experience supporting Cisco IronPort / Cisco Secure Email Gateway environments.

Demonstrated experience performing:
oIronPort-to-IronPort migrations (and other platforms)
oHardware refresh projects
oVirtual appliance deployments
oOn-prem to cloud email gateway migrations
oMicrosoft 365 mail security integrations
Strong understanding of:
oSMTP
oDNS
oSPF
oDKIM
oDMARC
oTLS
oEmail Authentication Standards

Experience managing:
oESA (Email Security Appliance)
oSMA (Security Management Appliance)
oCisco Secure Email Gateway
Experience with email routing, mail relay design, smart hosts, and MX record modifications.
Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills.
Experience with enterprise change control and ITIL processes.
Ability to work independently and lead technical workstreams.

Preferred Qualifications
Cisco CCNP Security, CCIE Security, or equivalent certifications.
Experience migrating to Cisco Secure Email Cloud Gateway (CES).
Experience with Microsoft Defender for Office 365.
Experience with Proofpoint, Mimecast, Symantec, or other secure email gateways.
Familiarity with SIEM platforms including Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, or QRadar.
Experience scripting or automation using PowerShell, Python, or REST APIs.
Experience supporting highly regulated enterprise environments.

Desired Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineer currently working with Cisco IronPort/Secure Email Gateway technologies, not someone whose experience is historical or limited to basic administration. Candidates should be comfortable leading end-to-end migration efforts, troubleshooting live production issues, coordinating cutovers, and providing strategic guidance on email security architecture.

Engagement Highlights
Senior SME-level resource
Customer-facing role
Migration and modernization focused
Remote with occasional after-hours cutovers
Strong communication and documentation skills required

Must Have: Current Cisco IronPort/Secure Email Gateway administration experience within the last 12-24 months and demonstrated success leading enterprise email gateway migration projects.