Principal Engineer Software - Backend (Prisma AIRS)

Palo Alto Networks; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 156,000 - 253,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is shaping the future of AI security with Prisma AIRS, building a world-class AI/ML infrastructure. We are creating a brand-new AIRS initiative focused on scalable backend systems and distributed cloud services.

As a senior technical leader, you will help design the control plane, microservices, and data pipelines that power our security platform at global scale. This hybrid role requires on-site presence 3x per week at our Santa Clara, CA headquarters, with collaboration

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8+ years of experience in backend systems, platform architecture, or distributed cloud services.
• Deep programming expertise in Golang or Python.
• Experience building and scaling RESTful APIs, gRPC services, and event-driven microservices.
• Extensive experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with Rust programming language is highly desired.
• Experience with GCP Bigtable, BigQuery, and Spanner for distributed databases.
• Knowledge of IAM or modern authorization concepts is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable backend services and APIs for the new security platform.
• Develop the robust control plane that manages configurations and deployments.
• Write clean, secure code with a focus on reliability at massive scale.
• Architect and deploy microservices using Kubernetes on GCP infrastructure.
• Build integration layers between data planes, telemetry pipelines, and management consoles.
• Promote automated testing, CI/CD, and system monitoring practices.

Skills

Golang

Python

Backend engineering

Distributed cloud services

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

BigQuery

Bigtable

Spanner

gRPC

REST APIs

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 Joining the AIRS Team Palo Alto Networks is pioneering the world's most comprehensive AI security platform through Prisma AIRS—protecting complex ecosystems of AI models, applications, and agents from development through runtime. As part of this mission, we are building a brand-new initiative on the AIRS team focused on advancing state-of-the-art AI/ML infrastructure and high-performance, distributed backend systems. We are recruiting senior technical leaders to drive this architecture from the ground up across the following levels: Sr. Staff Engineer | Principal Engineer | Sr. Principal Engineer Note: All roles are hybrid based on-site (3x/week) at our corporate Headquarters in Santa Clara, CA. As a Software Engineer, you will build the highly scalable, distributed cloud architectures that power our next-generation threat prevention ecosystem. You will develop the critical control plane and microservices that orchestrate our advanced AI models, manage security policies, and interface with our high-throughput data pipelines and inline engines. Your work will directly enable our customers to seamlessly deploy and manage cutting-edge AI security solutions at global scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain highly scalable, fault-tolerant backend services and APIs that serve as the backbone for our new security platform.
• Develop the robust control plane that orchestrates security policies, manages configurations, and coordinates deployments across distributed environments.
• Write clean, performant, and secure code, with a primary focus on Golang or Python, ensuring system reliability under massive scale.
• Architect and deploy microservices using container orchestration (Kubernetes) across Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure.
• Build robust integration layers bridging the gap between high-speed data planes, massive telemetry pipelines, and user-facing management consoles.
• Champion software engineering best practices, including rigorous automated testing, CI/CD pipeline development, and comprehensive system monitoring.

Qualifications Required

• Education & Experience: BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience) with 8+ years of experience in software engineering, specifically focused on backend systems, platform architecture, or distributed cloud services.
• Programming & Tech Stack: Deep programming expertise in Golang (Go) or Python is required.
• Microservices & APIs: Proven track record of building and scaling RESTful APIs, gRPC services, and event-driven microservices.
• Container Ecosystems: Extensive experience with container orchestration platforms, specifically Docker and Kubernetes.
• Additional Experience: Systems Programming: Familiarity with the Rust programming language is highly desired.
• GCP Cloud Data Infrastructure: Familiarity and hands-on experience with GCP Bigtable, BigQuery, and Spanner for managing large-scale distributed databases and analytics.
• Enterprise Security Concepts: Familiarity with network security concepts, identity and access management (IAM), or modern authorization frameworks is a strong plus.

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.

$156,400.00 - $253,000.00/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?: Yes