Consulting Director, DFIR, Reactive Services (Unit 42)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.; Burbank (CA); On-site; USD 183,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is seeking a Senior Consultant for cybersecurity incident response. This senior-level role will lead breach investigations and serve as a hands-on technical leader for Unit 42 clients in various industries. Candidates should have over 10 years of DFIR consulting experience, proven leadership capabilities, and deep expertise in forensic methodologies. The position offers a competitive salary range of $183,000 to $252,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of DFIR consulting experience in breach response or investigations.
• Proven ability to lead technical incident response teams under pressure.
• Deep expertise in forensic methodologies like chain of custody and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead breach response engagements and provide hands-on DFIR leadership.
• Deliver expert consulting across incident response and cyber risk scenarios.
• Perform and oversee forensic investigations using various tools.

Skills

DFIR consulting experience

Forensic methodologies

Client management

Incident response leadership

Operating system expertise

Education

Bachelor's + 12 years or Master's + 8 years or PhD + 5 years

Tools

EnCase

FTK

Volatility

SleuthKit

Job description

Job Summary

Senior-level consulting role leading cybersecurity incident response and breach investigations for Unit 42 clients. Acts as both a strategic advisor and hands-on technical leader across industries and environments, driving outcomes on complex security incidents.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead breach response engagements, providing both strategic direction and hands-on DFIR leadership
• Deliver expert consulting across incident response, digital forensics, and cyber risk scenarios
• Guide clients through complex incidents with tailored, high-impact solutions
• Stay current on threat landscape, vulnerabilities, and attacker techniques (TTPs, persistence methods)
• Perform and oversee forensic investigations (memory/disk acquisition, analysis) using tools like EnCase, FTK, Volatility
• Manage client relationships, lead technical discussions, and run multiple engagements concurrently
• Support business growth through client expansion (cross-sell/upsell) and new opportunity identification

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of DFIR consulting experience (breach response, investigations)
• Proven leadership of technical incident response teams in high-pressure environments
• Deep expertise in forensic methodologies (chain of custody, disk/memory analysis)
• Hands-on experience with tools: EnCase, FTK, SleuthKit, Volatility (or equivalent)
• Strong operating system expertise (Windows, Linux, or macOS)
• Degree: Bachelor's + 12 years, Master's + 8 years, or PhD + 5 years (or equivalent experience)

Preferred Qualifications

• Recognized industry leader (speaking, media, thought leadership)
• Strong client management + budget ownership experience
• Experience analyzing novel malware / advanced threats
• Comfortable with up to 20% travel

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned roles) is expected to be the annual range listed below. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

$183,000.00 - $252,000.00/yr

Immigration Sponsorship

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No.

Accommodations

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at [e-mail].

Equal Opportunity Employer

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

EEO Statement

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.