Senior Principal Software Engineer (Cortex Xpanse Vulnerability Assessment Research)

ZipRecruiter; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 182,000 - 295,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cybersecurity company is seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer to lead technical projects within the Vulnerability Assessment Research team. This role involves collaborating with product management and engineering teams to oversee projects from inception to completion, ensuring the delivery of innovative solutions. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in software engineering, particularly in customer-facing SaaS applications, and will be proficient in Python and cloud services. Join us to shape the future of cybersecurity.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software engineering, building customer-facing SaaS software.
• Experience providing technical leadership in enterprise SaaS platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical efforts across teams, influencing architecture and design decisions.
• Drive projects from requirements through implementation, mentoring others.

Skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Mentoring

Problem Solving

Networking

Education

BSc in Computer Science

Tools

Python

MySQL

BigQuery

GCP

Job description

Job Description

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks, everything starts and ends with our mission: to be 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 challenging and disrupting the status quo, seeking innovators committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity.

Who We Are

We take our mission seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and believe that the unique ideas of every team member contribute to our collective success. Our values—disruptive innovation, collaboration, integrity, inclusion—are embraced daily. We foster an environment where everyone feels included, supporting personal and professional growth through programs like FLEXBenefits, mental and financial health resources, and personalized learning opportunities.

We value collaboration and in-person interactions, primarily working from our offices with flexibility as needed, to promote casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships.

Job Description

Your Career

As a Senior Principal Software Engineer on the Vulnerability Assessment Research team, you will be a respected technical leader, collaborating across teams. You will oversee projects from inception to completion, guiding design and implementation, and coordinating work with product management, UX design, and engineering stakeholders. You will identify challenges and work with senior engineers and leadership to resolve them effectively.

Your Impact

• Lead technical efforts across teams, influencing architecture and design decisions
• Drive projects from requirements through implementation, mentoring others
• Coordinate with product management, UX, and engineering teams to align work
• Identify and mitigate risks proactively, providing mentorship and stakeholder communication
• Shape architectural decisions, communicate impact, and deliver end-to-end value
• Mentor engineers, foster cross-team collaboration
• Design, build, and optimize data models and queries using technologies like MySQL and BigQuery
• Develop business logic and API endpoints using Python

Qualifications

Your Experience

• 8+ years in software engineering, building customer-facing SaaS software
• Strong knowledge of distributed systems, deployment, and maintenance
• Experience with on-prem deployment and associated risks
• Understanding of networking and cybersecurity fundamentals
• Experience providing technical leadership in enterprise SaaS platforms
• Proficiency in prototyping, building, testing, and deploying projects
• Ability to balance new feature development with addressing technical debt
• Expertise in at least one area: databases/performance, concurrency, API design
• BSc in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience
• Proficiency in programming, ideally Python
• Experience with cloud services, preferably GCP

Additional Information

The Team

The Cortex Xpanse group develops an Exposure Management product to enhance Palo Alto Networks’ security suite. We are expanding our Vulnerability Assessment Research team to build innovative solutions leveraging AI technology, providing customers visibility into their attack surface and enabling vulnerability management.

In this role, you will work with talented engineers on architecture, deployment, and capabilities of our systems, shaping Palo Alto Networks' vision of proactive security and impacting the cybersecurity industry.

Compensation Disclosure

Salary ranges from $182,000 to $295,000 annually, depending on experience and location. Compensation may include stock units and bonuses. For more details, see our benefits documentation.

Our Commitment

We believe in diverse teams and innovation. We provide accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities; contact us at [e-mail].

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, gender, age, religion, or other protected characteristics. All information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.