Senior Principal Test Architect - Automation & Systems

Jobs Paloaltonetworks; California; On-site; USD 159,000 - 257,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks in California seeks a Senior Test Architect to define and own system- and platform-level test architecture across multiple networking products. You will shape long-term strategies for NPI, sustaining, and manufacturing, ensuring robust quality from design through release.

You will partner with Hardware, ASIC, Platform, Software, and Manufacturing teams to strengthen test reliability, lead automation initiatives, and mentor engineers, enabling early risk mitigation and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• 12–15+ years of experience in test, validation, systems, or hardware/software integration roles.
• Deep expertise in hardware circuitry and system architecture.
• Strong programming skills: Python or JScript (expert level), C/C++ is nice to have.
• Proven experience building and maintaining large-scale automation frameworks.
• Extensive experience in Linux-based systems.
• Strong understanding of networking technologies and protocols.
• Demonstrated ability to debug highly complex, intermittent, and cross-domain issues.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence without authority.

Responsibilities

• Define and own system- and platform-level test architecture across networking products.
• Establish long-term test strategies for NPI, sustaining, and manufacturing.
• Identify systemic quality risks early and drive mitigation before release.
• Partner with Hardware, ASIC, Platform, Software, and Manufacturing teams on test design.
• Represent test engineering in architecture reviews and readiness discussions.
• Mentor engineers and raise the overall technical bar of the test organization.
• Guide manufacturing test strategy, yield improvement, and failure triage.
• Drive root-cause analysis and software mitigation to prevent scrap.

Skills

Python

JScript

C/C++

Linux

Networking

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience

Job description

Palo Alto Networks in California seeks a Senior Test Architect to define and own system- and platform-level test architecture across multiple networking products. You will shape long-term strategies for NPI, sustaining, and manufacturing, ensuring robust quality from design through release.

You will partner with Hardware, ASIC, Platform, Software, and Manufacturing teams to strengthen test reliability, lead automation initiatives, and mentor engineers, enabling early risk mitigation and