Principal Software Engineer

Palo Alto Networks; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a Principal Software Engineer for Threat Intelligence Services in the Threat Prevention and Cloud Service Infrastructure team. You will design and implement cloud-native security features for public and private clouds, including the malware detection platform WildFire, and help scale architecture in GCP, AWS, or Azure.

You will write code, drive technical vision, mentor junior developers, and collaborate with product managers, architects, and DevOps to deliver

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering with 7+ years or equivalent experience or equivalent military experience required.
• Hands-on, software engineer implementing massively scalable platforms leveraging cloud technologies and distributed systems.
• Advanced level programming in Python, GoLang.
• Experience designing microservices architecture using containerization technologies like Docker or Kubernetes.
• Proven experience building and maintaining high-scale server-side applications on cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), or Microsoft Azure and designing cloud-native solutions.
• Experience in leading and doing projects end to end.
• Exposure to using configuration management tools such as Ansible and/or Terraform.
• Experience with data infrastructure platforms.
• Hands-on experience with SQL and No-SQL DB technologies such as MySQL, Redis, BigTable, BigQuery.
• Experience with the queuing system such as RabbitMQ or Kafka or PubSub.
• Strong believer of automation test and strive for higher code coverage.
• Can-do attitude on problem-solving, quality and ability to execute.

Responsibilities

• Bring new ideas to develop security disciplines to solve real-world problems.
• Design and implement real-time security services to our customers.
• Establish a clear technical and architectural vision for key projects.
• Collaborate closely with the product managers, architects and dev-ops to achieve quality releases.
• Make appropriate trade-offs to optimize time-to-release while maintaining performance and scalability requirements.
• Play a key role design/re-design by using cloud native solutions.
• Promote best practices such as design reviews, code reviews, secure coding and performance tuning.
• Mentoring junior developers.

Skills

Python

GoLang

Distributed systems

Microservices

Cloud platforms

SQL

NoSQL

RabbitMQ

Kafka

Automation

Code quality

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

GCP

AWS

Azure

Terraform

Ansible

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.

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

Threat Prevention and Cloud Service Infrastructure team - We are at the core of our products and deliver the best of security services in the cloud to prevent cyberattacks. We are constantly innovating and challenging the way we, and the whole industry, think about cybersecurity.

Your Career

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a key role in the design and implementation of our Threat Intelligence Services for public and private cloud features. Participate in all phases of the product development lifecycle from definition, design, through implementation and test.
Bring your software engineering expertise to work on our cutting edge malware detection platform, WildFire. Participate in the design, deployment and scaling of our architecture as we transform it by using cloud native solutions on GCP. Lead the redesign of the architecture to introduce appropriate microservices to process high rates of sample submissions.
You’re hands‑on and comfortable writing code. You keep up with best practices and have a breadth of experience with different languages and frameworks. You’re passionate about code quality and automation. You're comfortable driving the implementation and adoption of new frameworks, tools and technologies. You’re comfortable crafting robust distributed systems that achieve both short and long-term business goals. You have the ability to articulate a clear technical vision.

Key Responsibilities

• Bring new ideas to develop security disciplines to solve real-world problems
• Design and implement real-time security services to our customers
• Establish a clear technical and architectural vision for key projects
• Collaborate closely with the product managers, architects and dev-ops to achieve quality releases
• Make appropriate trade-offs to optimize time-to-release while maintaining performance and scalability requirements
• Play a key role design/re-design by using cloud native solutions
• Promote best practices such as design reviews, code reviews, secure coding and performance tuning
• Mentoring junior developers

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering with 7+ years or equivalent experience or equivalent military experience required
• Hands‑on, software engineer implementing massively scalable platforms leveraging cloud technologies and distributed systems
• Advanced level programming in Python, GoLang
• Experience designing microservices architecture using containerization technologies like Docker or Kubernetes
• Proven experience building and maintaining high‑scale server‑side applications on cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), or Microsoft Azure and designing cloud‑native solutions
• Experience in leading and doing projects end to end
• Exposure to using configuration management tools such as Ansible and/or Terraform
• Experience with data infrastructure platforms
• Hands‑on experience with SQL and No‑SQL DB technologies such as MySQL, Redis, BigTable, BigQuery
• Experience with the queuing system such as RabbitMQ or Kafka or PubSub
• Strong believer of automation test and strive for higher code coverage
• Can‑do attitude on problem‑solving, quality and ability to execute

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to using AI tools and technologies for productivity and building AI agents
• Knowledge of AI/ML pipelines, Data Science principles, and related technologies.
• Experience with multi‑threads and multi‑processes achieving a common goal.
• Knowledge of the DevOps workflow
• Experience with REST API design, development, and consumption, along with familiarity with CI/CD pipelines.

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.
$147,000.00 - $237,500.00/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