Role Overview :

Responsible for the end-to-end design, architecture, deployment, migration, integration, optimization and L3 operations of Fortinet SD-WAN and SASE solutions across enterprise environments.

The SME will act as the technical authority for Fortinet Secure SD-WAN, FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiSASE/SSE, secure internet access, ZTNA and cloud-delivered security services, working across network, security, cloud and operations teams.

Architecture & Solution Design :

Fortinet SD-WAN :

- Design enterprise Fortinet Secure SD-WAN architectures.

- Design hub-and-spoke, regional hub and hybrid SD-WAN architectures.

- Design underlay/overlay connectivity using : MPLS, Internet, Broadband, DIA, 4G/5G, IPsec.

- Design routing using BGP, OSPF and static routing.

- Design SD-WAN policies based on application and business requirements.

- Define SLA-based path selection using : Latency, jitter, Packet loss, Availability, Bandwidth.

- Design local and centralized internet breakout.

- Design FortiGate HA and site resiliency.

Fortinet SASE :

- Design Fortinet SASE architecture integrating SD-WAN with cloud-delivered security.

- Design secure access for : Remote users, Branch users, Mobile users, Contractors.

- Design ZTNA solutions based on user, device, application and security context.

- Design secure web/internet access and cloud security controls.

- Define security policies for web, SaaS and internet traffic.

- Design integration between FortiGate SD-WAN and Fortinet SASE services.

- Develop SASE adoption and migration roadmaps.

Deployment & Implementation :

SD-WAN :

- Lead FortiGate SD-WAN deployments from design through production.

- Configure : SD-WAN zones and members, Performance SLA, SD-WAN rules, IPsec tunnels, Routing, Firewall policies, NAT, Security profiles.

- Deploy and manage FortiGate through FortiManager.

- Develop standardized templates and configuration packages.

- Execute site onboarding and zero-touch deployment where applicable.

- Perform post-deployment validation.

SASE :

- Deploy and configure Fortinet SASE services.

- Onboard users, devices, applications and locations.

- Implement ZTNA policies.

- Configure secure internet/web access.

- Implement security policies and access controls.

- Integrate identity providers and enterprise authentication.

- Integrate endpoint/device posture information where applicable.

- Validate user-to-application and branch-to-cloud connectivity.

L3 Operations & Troubleshooting :

- Provide SME-level troubleshooting for : SD-WAN, IPsec tunnel failures, SLA violations, Incorrect path selection, Application steering issues, Routing problems, BGP/OSPF issues, Packet loss, Latency/jitter, Asymmetric routing, NAT/firewall issues, Internet breakout issues, FortiGate HA, FortiManager synchronization.

- Provide SME-level troubleshooting for : SASE, User authentication issues, ZTNA access failures, Application connectivity, Policy enforcement, Secure web access, Remote-user connectivity, Identity integration, Device posture issues, Performance/latency issues, Cloud security policy issues.

- Perform packet-level troubleshooting using FortiGate diagnostics, logs, packet captures and flow analysis.

Technical & Functional Skills & Certifications :

- Accredited SD-WAN Professional (AASP), Certified SD-WAN Deployment Professional (ACSDP), Certified SD-WAN Deployment Expert (ACSDX).

- CCNP/CCIE Enterprise.

Education, Qualifications, and Certifications :

- BE / B. Tech. / B. Sc. in EXTC/ Computer Science / Information Technology.

- Fortinet SD-WAN training/certification.

- Fortinet SASE training /certification.

- CCNP/CCIE Enterprise or Security.

- Equivalent SD-WAN/SASE certifications.

Experience :

- 8 - 12 years in enterprise networking/security.

- 5+ years in SD-WAN/network security, with strong hands-on Fortinet experience.

- Experience with large-scale enterprise SD-WAN/SASE deployments, multi-region environments, migrations and managed services is preferred.

Expertise :

- Strong hands-on experience with Fortinet SDWAN-SASE.

- Strong understanding of : SD-WAN overlays, Underlay routing, Application steering, QoS, WAN optimisation, Segmentation, HA deployments, Service insertion.

Routing & Switching :

- Advanced knowledge of : BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, VRF, VLANs, STP, Multicast, NAT, Policy-based routing.

- Strong understanding of enterprise WAN and LAN architectures.

Security Knowledge :

- Understanding of : IPsec VPN, PKI/certificates, SASE/SSE concepts, Firewall integrations, Secure segmentation, Zero Trust concepts.

Cloud & Virtualization :

- Experience with : AWS, Azure, GCP, VMware ESXi, KVM, Virtual EdgeConnect deployments.

Automation & Tools :

- Exposure to : REST APIs, Python scripting, Ansible, Terraform, Git/Jenkins pipelines. Knowledge of monitoring and observability tools is preferred.

- Experience in large enterprise or managed services environments.

- Experience handling multi-site/global deployments.

- Exposure to migration and transformation projects.