Director, Customer Success Engineering, Netsec

Palo Alto Networks; Santa Clara (CA); Remote; USD 227,000 - 312,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a Director of Customer Success for our Network Security business to lead post-sale strategy across SASE and NGFW platforms. You will guide a high-performing team of CS engineers, aligning customer outcomes with product roadmaps and renewal plans.

You will translate complex security concepts for senior executives, drive retention, and champion adoption of cloud-native and hybrid deployments in enterprise environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Customer Success or Professional Services in SaaS or cybersecurity
• 5+ years in a people leadership role
• AI-first strategic mindset to scale CS operations
• Deep knowledge of SASE components (SD-WAN, CASB, ZTNA) and NGFW technologies
• Experience with AWS/Azure/GCP and enterprise networking
• Experience managing large enterprise portfolios with retention focus
• Strong executive communication skills
• Data-driven decision making and continuous improvement

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the SASE and NGFW CS strategy to improve time-to-value, adoption depth, and net retention.
• Lead and scale a dual-focus team of SASE and NGFW Customer Success Engineers.
• Develop lifecycle playbooks from implementation hand-off to executive reviews and renewals.
• Establish KPIs such as churn, NPS/CSAT, Health Scores, and expansion pipeline.
• Partner with Product/Engineering to incorporate the voice of the customer into roadmaps.
• Collaborate with Sales to ensure seamless hand-offs and growth strategies.
• Act as executive sponsor for accounts, managing at-risk accounts with recovery plans.
• Champion migration from hardware-centric networks to hybrid cloud-native SASE models.

Skills

Customer Success Leadership

SaaS/Cybersecurity Experience

AI-first Mindset

SASE Tech Knowledge

NGFW Technologies

Cloud Platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Enterprise Accounts

Executive Communication

Data-driven / Analytical

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Business

MBA or NGFW Certifications (CISSP/CCIE/PCNSE)

Job description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place.

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place.

Who We Are

In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us!

This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters.

Job Summary

As the Director of Customer Success for our Network Security business (NGFW/SASE), you will be the primary architect of the post-sale customer journey. You will lead a high-performing team of Customer Success Engineers dedicated to ensuring our enterprise clients realize the full value of our converged networking, cloud security platforms, and enterprise firewall infrastructure.

SASE and advanced firewall integrations represent a fundamental shift in how our customers’ organizations manage security and connectivity. This role requires a leader who understands the complexity of digital transformation, SD-WAN, Zero Trust architectures, and enterprise threat prevention, translating that technical complexity into business outcomes for our customers.

Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute the SASE and NGFW Customer Success strategy, focusing on Time-to-Value (TTV), adoption depth, and Net Retention.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a dual-focus team of SASE and NGFW Customer Success Engineers, fostering a culture of proactive advocacy and technical excellence.
• Develop playbooks for the entire customer lifecycle, from implementation hand-off to executive business reviews (EBRs) and renewals across both cloud-native and hybrid security deployments.

Operational Excellence

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) including Churn Rate, NPS/CSAT, Health Scores, and Expansion Pipeline.
• Partner with Product and Engineering to provide a "voice of the customer" feedback loop, influencing both the SASE and NGFW product roadmaps based on real-world deployment challenges.
• Collaborate with Sales leadership to ensure seamless hand-offs and alignment on account growth strategies.

Customer Advocacy & Retention

• Serve as the executive sponsor for accounts, maintaining relationships with CISOs, CIOs, and Network Security Directors.
• Manage "At-Risk" accounts by developing comprehensive get-well plans and coordinating cross-functional resources.
• Champion the shift from traditional hardware-centric networks to modern hybrid architectures, ensuring customers successfully bridge legacy network security with cloud-native SASE models.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in Customer Success or Professional Services within SaaS or cybersecurity, with 5+ years in a people leadership role.
• Demonstrated AI-first strategic mindset to scale Customer Success operations, drive retention, and enhance efficiency
• Deep understanding of SASE components (SD-WAN, CASB, ZTNA) as well as Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) technologies.
• Familiarity with cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) and enterprise networking is essential.
• Experience overseeing a large, complex enterprise customer portfolio, with accountability for adoption, customer health, retention, and executive escalations
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to explain complex security concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Data-driven and analytical, with a relentless focus on customer outcomes and continuous improvement.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Business. MBA or relevant technical certifications (e.g., CISSP, CCIE, PCNSE or similar NGFW certifications) preferred.

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/com-missioned 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.

$227,300.00 - $311,850.00/yr

Our Commitment

We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

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].

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.

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

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.