Principal Software Engineer (AI Posture)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 156,000 - 253,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is seeking a seasoned software engineer to own the end-to-end development lifecycle for cloud-native security services.

You will design, implement, and operate distributed systems using Golang and Python in a GCP/AWS environment, with strong emphasis on observability and AI-assisted productivity. Collaborate with senior engineers and cross-functional teams, participate in CI/CD, and contribute to security posture improvements across PLM and QA.

Qualifications

• Strong programming and scripting skills (Golang, Python, etc).
• Solid understanding of infrastructure and cloud environments (experience with k8s infra context and GCP preferred, AWS experience acceptable).
• Hands-on experience developing and operating cloud-based services.
• Willingness and ability to leverage AI tools and agents to improve productivity across research, design, implementation, and operational support activities.
• Experience with observability frameworks and operational monitoring for cloud-native services (metrics, logging, tracing, and alerting).

Responsibilities

• End-to-end development lifecycle, including requirements analysis and technical design.
• Implementation and QA collaboration, release and deployment.
• Ongoing maintenance and operational support of distributed cloud services.
• Participation in on-call rotations and customer interactions for production support.

Skills

Go

Python

Cloud-native

Kubernetes

GCP

AWS

Observability

AI tooling

CI/CD

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

PhD (optional)

Tools

Kubernetes

GCP

AWS

JSON

YAML

XML

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

Must-Have Skills, Experience, or Qualifications

• Strong programming and scripting skills (Golang, Python, etc).
• Solid understanding of infrastructure and cloud environments (experience with k8s infra context and GCP preferred, AWS experience acceptable).
• Hands-on experience developing and operating cloud-based services.
• Demonstrated willingness and ability to leverage AI tools and agents to improve productivity across research, design, implementation, and operational support activities.
• Experience with observability frameworks and operational monitoring for cloud-native services (metrics, logging, tracing, and alerting).

Product / Technology Stack Overview:

• The team develops highly scalable cloud applications using Golang in a GCP environment.
• The role involves working across the full software development lifecycle, including system design, implementation, deployment, and operational support for distributed cloud services.

Desired Soft Skills

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate both high-level system architecture and detailed technical design.
• Strong analytical thinking with close attention to implementation details.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Nice-to-Have Skills or Experience

• Security Domain Knowledge: Familiarity with security best practices, risk assessment, and common threat models.
• Configuration Schema Expertise: Experience working with configuration schemas such as JSON, YAML, or XML, especially in the context of security policy enforcement
• Security Policy & Profiles: Understanding of security policies, access control models, and configuration profiles across operating systems, cloud environments, and enterprise applications.

How Success Is Measured in This Role

• Consistent delivery of high-quality features within planned timelines.
• Effective collaboration and influence across Product Line Management (PLM) and QA teams.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks within a fast-paced development environment with ongoing CI/CD release cadence.

Qualifications

Role Summary

This role will collaborate closely with senior engineers and, in some cases, operate independently to deliver security posture–related features in partnership with PLM.

The engineer will be responsible for the end-to-end development lifecycle, including:

• Requirements analysis
• Technical design
• Implementation
• QA collaboration
• Release and deployment
• Ongoing maintenance and operational support
• The role may also involve occasional customer interactions for production support.
• Participation in the team’s on-call rotation is required.

Education Requirement:

All degrees must be in Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 12 years of related experience; OR
Master’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of related experience; OR
PhD with a minimum of 5 years of related experience; OR
Equivalent work experience.

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