Job Title: Automation L3 SME – Cisco ACI, NCS, Palo Alto
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Experience Level: Senior Automation SME’s (L3 Support / SME)

Role Overview
As an Automation L3 SME, you will lead the design and implementation of automated workflows for network and security infrastructure using Cisco ACI, Cisco NSO, and Palo Alto platforms. You’ll build scalable, policy-driven automation frameworks that support service provisioning, validation, and rollback across hybrid environments.

Key Responsibilities
Platform Automation

Develop and maintain automation scripts for Cisco ACI, leveraging /api/node/mo/.xml endpoints and fabric policy constructs.
Implement service models and device templates using Cisco NSO, with deep interaction via YANG models and NETCONF/RESTCONF APIs.
Automate Palo Alto firewall configurations using XML/REST APIs, including policy creation, object management, and commit operations.

Workflow Engineering

Build automated workflows for service provisioning, configuration validation, and rollback using orchestration tools and custom scripts.
Ensure workflows are modular, reusable, and version-controlled for multi-tenant environments.

Data Modelling & Template Design

Use JSON/XML to parse device configurations, generate templates, and validate schema compliance.
Create dynamic templates for policy deployment across platforms using Jinja2, YANG, or custom DSLs.

Automation Tools & Scripting

Automate policy deployment using:
- Ansible playbooks and roles
- Python scripts with libraries like pan-os-python, requests, and ncclient
Integrate automation into CI/CD pipelines using Git, Jenkins, or GitLab CI, enabling continuous delivery of network changes.

Governance & Compliance

Ensure all automation adheres to security standards, change control policies, and audit requirements.
Maintain detailed documentation, version history, and rollback procedures for all automated deployments.

Required Skills & Qualifications

5+ years in network/security automation, with hands-on experience in:
- Cisco ACI (fabric policies, API interaction)
- Cisco NSO (service models, YANG, NETCONF)
- Palo Alto Networks (API-based automation)
Proficiency in:
- Python, Ansible, REST/XML/JSON
- CI/CD tools (Git, Jenkins, GitLab CI)
- Network protocols (BGP, OSPF, VRF, NAT, ACLs)

Preferred Certifications

Cisco DevNet Professional / Specialist
PCNSE (Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer)
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation
ITIL Foundation (for process alignment)

What You’ll Gain

Ownership of next-gen automation frameworks across network and security domains
Strategic role in infrastructure-as-code transformation
Exposure to multi-vendor orchestration, policy-as-code, and DevSecOps practices

Automation L3 SME – Cisco ACI, NCS, Pal...