Freelance IT Support Engineer – Remote Hands for PAN‑OS Upgrade

About the role

We are looking for a freelance IT support engineer to provide on‑site remote‑hands assistance during a PAN‑OS firewall upgrade at our Christchurch location. The engineer will work closely with a remote network team to ensure the upgrade proceeds smoothly and any connectivity issues are resolved promptly.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate with the remote network team before and during the upgrade activity.
• Provide physical access and on‑site support for the firewall upgrade.
• Connect the console cable to the firewall when instructed.
• Offer console access via laptop if management or network connectivity is lost.
• Maintain a stable hotspot/internet connection for remote troubleshooting.
• Assist with basic cabling tasks as requested.
• Remain on‑site until the remote team confirms successful completion.

Required profile

• Available for the entire maintenance window and able to stay on‑site until completion.
• Own a working laptop with administrator privileges.
• Carry the required console and networking cables and adapters.
• Ability to follow remote instructions and work independently.

Required skills

• Proficiency with PuTTY for console access.
• Experience using Cisco console cable (RJ45 to Serial) and Serial‑to‑USB adapters.
• Knowledge of Micro‑USB console cables.
• Basic networking knowledge and firewall console operations (PAN‑OS).
• Capability to set up and maintain hotspot/internet connectivity for remote support.