Principal Engineer Software (Cortex Xpanse VMS)

ZipRecruiter; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cybersecurity company is seeking a Principal Software Engineer (Full Stack) to join its expanding Cortex Vulnerability Management team. This role involves designing and developing software for network vulnerability scanning, requiring strong expertise in Python and distributed systems. Ideal candidates will have a proactive approach to problem-solving and a commitment to high-quality engineering practices in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account

Mental and financial health resources

Personalized learning opportunities

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a software engineer.
• Proficient in Python and one of Rust/Golang/C.
• Experience with cloud platforms like GCP, AWS, or Azure.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain network vulnerability scanner software.
• Collaborate with teams to solve problems and evolve development practices.
• Take ownership of projects, driving them to completion.

Skills

API design

Distributed backend systems

Cloud managed services

Python

Rust

Golang

C

Tools

Linux

Windows

Job description

Job DescriptionJob DescriptionCompany Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Job Description

Your Career

The Cortex Vulnerability Management Scanning team is expanding, and we’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer (Full Stack) to join our team. This team builds the software that provides our customers visibility into their behind-the-firewall attack surface, allowing them to prioritize and remediate critical vulnerabilities using the XSIAM platform.

Your Impact

• Design, build, and maintain the end to end experience for running our network vulnerability scanner -This includes building both the software that runs within customers’ networks and the user experience for interacting with that software from within the XSIAM platform
• Research and utilize leading open source network scanning solutions
• Analyze existing solutions, identify barriers to scaling, recommend changes, then implement
• Take part in architecture strategy sessions - design solutions that accommodate the requirements of the various groups across Cortex
• Collaborate with teams to solve problems, reduce technical debt, and evolve development practices
• Drive technical best practices and evangelize new technologies within the engineering org
• Collaborate with other engineers and ensure that your team delivers high-quality output
• Take ownership of projects, drive them to completion, and support them in production

Qualifications

Your Experience

• 5+ years of experience as a professional software engineer writing full stack software
• Experienced and opinionated about API design and distributed backend systems
• Able to switch between research, design, prototype, and implementation
• Experience using cloud managed services (ideally in GCP)
• Proficient in Python and one of Rust, Golang, or C
• Working knowledge of at least one of the major cloud platforms (eg GCP, AWS, or Azure)

Nice to have:

• Experience with Angular
• Cybersecurity knowledge demonstrated with base level certifications (eg OSCP, GPEN, or Pentest+) or willingness to obtain
• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and vulnerability methodologies
• Familiarity with current penetration and security assessment tools such as Metasploit, Nmap, Burp Suite, Wireshark, etc.
• Experience contributing to open source software
• Proficient knowledge of common networking protocols such as HTTP, DNS, DHCP, ARP, FTP, etc - Basic knowledge in other less common protocols such as ICS/SCADA or database protocols
• Familiarity with common open source security software such as Nuclei, OpenVAS, and Nmap
• Proficient knowledge in network architectures -understands subnetting and routing and how VLANs work and affect network scanning
• Proficiency in Linux and Windows operating systems
• Demonstrates a basic understanding of how a variety of exploits work and shows skills in enumerating and selecting the correct exploit for a given system
• Familiarity with packaging, deploying, and supporting on-prem / private cloud software

Additional Information

The Team

To stay ahead of the curve, it’s critical to know where the curve is, and how to anticipate the changes we’re facing. For the fastest growing cybersecurity company, the curve is the evolution of cyberattacks, and the products and services that proactively address them. Our engineering team is at the core of our products – connected directly to the mission of preventing cyberattacks. They are constantly innovating – challenging the way we, and the industry, think about cybersecurity. These engineers aren’t shy about creating products to solve problems no one has tackled before. They define the industry, instead of waiting for directions. We need individuals who feel comfortable in ambiguity, excited by the prospect of challenge, and empowered by the unknown risks facing our everyday lives that are only enabled by a secure digital environment.

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 between $0 - $0/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be foundhere.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that 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 [e-mail].

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

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