Senior Principal Test Architect – Hardware & Automation

Palo Alto Networks; California; Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking an experienced Test Architecture & Strategy leader to define system- and platform-level test strategies for multiple networking products. You will drive long-term test plans across NPI, sustaining, and manufacturing, and mitigate quality risks before release.

Collaborating with Hardware, ASIC, Platform, Software, and Manufacturing teams, you will build scalable automation, review hardware designs for testability, and mentor engineers to raise the team’s technical

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.
• 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 issues.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence without authority.

Responsibilities

• Define and own system-level and platform-level test architecture across multiple networking products.
• Establish long-term test strategies covering NPI, sustaining, and manufacturing.
• Identify systemic quality risks early and drive mitigation plans before release.
• Review schematics, board layouts, and system architecture for testability.
• Debug complex issues across ASIC, hardware, firmware, and OS boundaries.
• Architect and evolve scalable automation frameworks and regression infrastructure.
• Write and review production-quality code for test, diagnostics, and tooling.
• Set coding standards and best practices for test automation.
• Leverage data, analytics, and AI-assisted tools to improve failure detection and test efficiency.
• Partner with Hardware, ASIC, Platform, Software, and Manufacturing teams to influence design-for-test.
• Mentor senior engineers and raise the technical bar of the test organization.

Skills

Test architecture

Hardware debugging

Linux expertise

Networking protocols

Automation frameworks

Programming skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Electrical/CS degree

Tools

Linux-based systems

Automation tooling

Schematic review tools

Job description

Palo Alto Networks is seeking an experienced Test Architecture & Strategy leader to define system- and platform-level test strategies for multiple networking products. You will drive long-term test plans across NPI, sustaining, and manufacturing, and mitigate quality risks before release.

Collaborating with Hardware, ASIC, Platform, Software, and Manufacturing teams, you will build scalable automation, review hardware designs for testability, and mentor engineers to raise the team’s technical