Principal Security Researcher (Xpanse)

Palo Alto Networks; California (MO); On-site; USD 163,000 - 263,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a seasoned Vulnerability Assessment Researcher to join the Team Cortex Platform. You will contribute to open and integrated AI-based security tooling, driving research into vulnerabilities and exposures, and building high-impact tooling to support remediation.

This role sits within Cortex Exposure Management and shapes how customers prioritize fixes. You will develop content repositories, test exploits, and collaborate across engineering to improve detection,

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in vulnerability management, offensive security or security research.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive, industry-leading repository of vulnerability content to enhance detection and mitigation strategies.

Skills

Python

TCP/IP networking

Nuclei

Nmap

Burp Suite

Metasploit

Windows/Linux/macOS

C/C++

Rust

Golang

Tools

Nuclei

OpenVAS

Nmap

Burp Suite

Metasploit

Wireshark

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

The Team Cortex Platform—Cortex is the industry's only open and integrated, AI-based, continuous security platform. Cortex is a significant evolution of the Application Framework designed to simplify security operations and considerably improve outcomes. Deployed on a global, scalable public cloud platform, Cortex allows security operations teams to speed the analysis of massive data sets. Join the elite Vulnerability Assessment Research team within Cortex Exposure Management and be at the forefront of cybersecurity! You'll be instrumental in groundbreaking research into vulnerabilities and exposures, engineering cutting-edge exploits and robust vulnerability tests, and building and maintaining the essential, high-impact tooling that powers our team. This is your chance to directly shape the future of exposure management. This capability serves as the cyber knowledge backbone of the exposure management product, and is crucial for customers to prioritize and fix critical vulnerabilities using the XSIAM platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive, industry-leading repository of vulnerability content to enhance detection and mitigation strategies.
• Shape and drive the tactical response to zero-day and critical vulnerabilities across all attack surfaces, ensuring rapid containment and mitigation.
• Conduct research and testing, enhance automation processes, and ensure a smooth workflow for identifying, validating and mitigating security risks.
• Analyze existing solutions, identify barriers to quality, 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 organization.
• Mentor other researchers and ensure that your team delivers high-quality output.
• Take ownership of projects, drive them to completion, and support them in production.

Qualifications Required

• 5+ years of experience in vulnerability management, offensive security or security research.
• Experience contributing to public vulnerability research, submitting CVEs or creating proof-of-concept exploits.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP and networking protocols (eg. HTTP, FTP, SSH, SNMP).
• Familiarity with common open source security software such as Nuclei, OpenVAS, and Nmap.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and vulnerability methodologies.
• Familiarity with current penetration and security assessment tools such as Metasploit, Nmap, Burp Suite, Wireshark, etc.
• Proficient in Python.
• Familiar with, or eager to learn Java, Golang, C/C++ or RUST.
• Deep understanding of Windows, Linux, macOS and Unix-based systems.
• Able to switch between research, design, prototype, and implementation.
• Cybersecurity knowledge demonstrated with base level certifications (eg. OSCP, GPEN, or Pentest+) or willingness to obtain.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with patch management processes and tools (eg. WSUS or SCCM) knowing how vulnerabilities are remediated.
• Familiarity with enterprise/cloud deployed embedded systems.
• Experience using cloud managed services (ideally in GCP).
• Knowledge of network architectures; understands subnetting and routing and how VLANs work and affect network scanning.
• Are familiar with distributed data stores, such as BigQuery and BigTable, as well as relational databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL.
• Experience working in security operations centers (SOC), red/blue teams or as a security analyst.

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. $162,700.00 - $263,175.00/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.

Immigration Sponsorship

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes