Distinguished Engineer - AI-First Transformation

Palo Alto Networks; California (MO); On-site; USD 299,000 - 405,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Reasonable accommodations for disabled

Immigration sponsorship available

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a visionary Distinguished Engineer to drive our AI-First Transformation within the Information Technology function. You will reimagine workflows, design an enterprise AI factory, and drive end-to-end AI lifecycle from pilots to scalable business value.

Define the transformation roadmap, partner with Legal, InfoSec, and Engineering to enforce governance, safety, and responsible AI adoption. Bring a GM mindset to accelerate measurable ROI and organizational impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 15 years of related experience, or Master's with 12 years, or PhD with 8 years.
• Deep experience leading cross-functional teams at the intersection of Business Strategy and Technical Execution.
• Proven 'General Manager' mindset with a track record of owning the P&L or business outcome of a digital product.

Responsibilities

• Define the AI transformation roadmap, prioritizing initiatives like autonomous agents and predictive operations.
• Oversee the data strategy, curate 'Golden Examples' to train models and digitize enterprise memory.
• Re-imagine and design 'Invisible AI' workflows to assist human experts; establish 'Report Cards' for AI models.
• Partner with Legal, InfoSec, and Engineering to implement governance and safety 'Circuit Breakers'.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

AI/LLM knowledge

Strategy execution

GM mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

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.

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!

We believe collaboration thrives in person. That's why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it's needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.

Job Summary

Our Information Technology team at Palo Alto Networks is at the core of our business and connects our employees to the tools and resources they need to succeed in a hybrid work environment. You'll be part of a team that is empowered with the resources of a large company, but the freedom and velocity of a startup. We're looking for people who are passionate about Information Technology and know how to get things done. You will be part of a growing, passionate, and dynamic team with an opportunity to work on challenging and exciting projects – centered on what we believe is one of the most significant mission statements in the world.

We are seeking a visionary Distinguished Engineer to drive our AI-First Transformation, bridging the gap between AI technology and business impact. You will re-imagine how our enterprise operates by rewriting operational workflows to drive efficiency, personalization, and speed. Your goal is to build a scalable 'AI Factory' that moves the organization from ad-hoc pilots to industrialized business value by leading the end-to-end AI lifecycle and translating ideas into tangible business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Define the AI transformation roadmap, ruthlessly prioritizing initiatives like autonomous agents and predictive operations to ensure a clear path to ROI. Oversee the data strategy, curating 'Golden Examples' from institutional history to train models on our best work and digitize our 'Enterprise Memory'. Re-imagine and design 'Invisible AI' workflows that seamlessly assist human experts, rather than simply digitizing existing processes. Establish rigorous 'Report Cards' for AI models to move from 'vibes-based' decisions to structured evaluation, measuring accuracy, latency, and business relevance before production. Partner with Legal, InfoSec, and Engineering to implement strict governance and safety 'Circuit Breakers,' protecting company IP and preventing data leaks or unsafe AI actions. Own the adoption curve and unit economics, ensuring workforce trust in AI tools and preventing model decay by maintaining a fresh knowledge base.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's degree with 15 years of related experience, or Master's degree with 12 years of experience, or PhD with 8 years of experience.
• Deep experience leading cross-functional teams at the intersection of Business Strategy and Technical Execution.
• Proven 'General Manager' mindset with a track record of owning the P&L or business outcome of a digital product.
• Fluency in the modern AI stack, understanding the capabilities and limitations of LLMs, RAG architectures, and Agentic workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to translate complex concepts between CXOs (Business Outcomes), CIOs (Architecture/Security), and Data Scientists (Models/Weights).
• Technical fluency to design workflows that handle ambiguity and require human-in-the-loop validation.
• Demonstrated success in change management, driving technology adoption, managing automation concerns, and upskilling teams.

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.

• $351,750.00/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].

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

Immigration Sponsorship

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes

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