Distinguished Engineer, AI-Native Cloud Platform

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 249,000 - 341,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is seeking a Distinguished Engineer to join the Cortex Cloud team as a senior technical leader and hands-on expert. You will architect scalable AI-native systems, drive critical initiatives, mentor teams, and elevate engineering standards across the organization in a fast-paced environment.

You will embed within key projects, deliver high-impact code, and influence strategy while maintaining technical excellence and robust cloud-based software delivery.

Qualifications

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to influence engineers, managers, and executives without formal authority.
• Deep, practical AI expertise, including a proven track record of building AI systems and designing AI-driven engineering processes.
• Broad technical depth across architecture, distributed systems, cloud, and data, with the ability to make rapid, sound technology choices.
• Deep expertise in OS internals, networking, concurrency, storage, database internals, low-level debugging, and performance profiling.
• Extensive experience interviewing senior engineers and a strong understanding of high-quality engineering standards.
• Exceptional drive and ownership, demonstrating a strong bias for action and consistent delivery under pressure.
• Eagerness to embed within product teams as a hands-on engineer, delivering roadmaps while mastering internal systems.
• Extensive experience as a senior hands-on engineer, with a track record as the go-to technical expert on complex, high-stakes systems.

Responsibilities

• Embed in high-profile projects to set technical direction, run rapid experiments, and deliver critical-path code.
• Drive cross-team alignment by coordinating dependencies and clearing blockers to ensure focused, timely delivery.
• Lead high-leverage technical initiatives, such as AI-native workflows, to multiply the productivity of the engineering group.
• Design and build innovative AI-driven systems and processes that transform how software is built, tested, and shipped.
• Continuously identify, research, and drive strategic initiatives to significantly improve engineering velocity across the organization.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to leadership and conduct senior technical interviews to raise the hiring bar.
• Mentor engineers through hands-on collaboration, elevating technical standards and performance across every team you engage with.

Skills

AI expertise

Communication

Architectural depth

OS internals

Networking

Concurrency

Engineering interviewing

Ownership & delivery

Job description

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is seeking a Distinguished Engineer to join the Cortex Cloud team as a senior technical leader and hands-on expert. You will architect scalable AI-native systems, drive critical initiatives, mentor teams, and elevate engineering standards across the organization in a fast-paced environment.

You will embed within key projects, deliver high-impact code, and influence strategy while maintaining technical excellence and robust cloud-based software delivery.