Sr. Principal Engineer Software (Unit 42)

Palo Alto Networks; Connecticut; Hybrid; USD 126,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a remote Unit 42 contributor to design threat data workflows, automate data architectures, and build AI-enabled threat intelligence tools. You’ll collaborate with researchers and engineers across distributed teams to deliver scalable solutions.

Ideal candidates have strong Python/SQL fundamentals, experience with frontier models and AI tooling, and familiarity with Docker/Kubernetes, data stores, and REST API integration.

Qualifications

• Hands-on knowledge of AI tools and techniques.
• Experience building AI agents using frontier models (Gemini, Claude).
• Proficient in Python and SQL; exposure to non-relational DBs like Elasticsearch/Cassandra/BigQuery.
• Familiar with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes).
• Understanding of REST APIs and integration patterns.
• Knowledge of message queues (RabbitMQ or Pub/Sub).
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing features and integrations for threat data collection and countermeasures.
• Collaborate to implement REST APIs and workflows with SQL, NoSQL, BigQuery, and document stores.
• Contribute to frameworks supporting threat researchers, focusing on automation and data architectures.
• Work with senior members to document specs and support integration with existing systems.
• Participate in deployment using Git, CI/CD (Gitlab CI), Docker, Kubernetes, and containerization.

Skills

AI tools & techniques

Frontier models

Python

SQL

REST APIs

RabbitMQ / Pub/Sub

Communication skills

Cloud concepts

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

BigQuery

Elasticsearch

Cassandra

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!

This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters.

Job Summary

The Unit 42 Engineering team specializes in providing tools enabling threat researchers and incident response consultants to work more efficiently across the vast amounts of data Palo Alto Networks has at its disposal. Our experts bridge the gap between application development using modern best practices/technology and the world‑class research teams within Unit 42. This role will challenge you to become a true force‑multiplier, assisting the security research team through designing and building threat centric application workflows, process automations, and the creation of intelligent data architectures for threat intelligence and telemetry collection at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the development and implementation of features and integrations to support threat data collection, analysis, and countermeasure creation.


• Collaborate with the team to implement REST APIs and workflows, learning about integration with various data sources such as SQL, NoSQL, BigQuery, and document stores.


• Contribute to the development and maintenance of frameworks that support threat researchers, gaining experience with tooling and automation to improve efficiency.


• Work with senior team members to understand technical dependencies, document technical specifications, and support integration with existing systems.


• Participate in the deployment process, gaining hands‑on experience with modern tools such as Git, CI/CD (Gitlab CI, Docker, Airflow, Kubernetes), and containerization.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• In depth knowledge of Modern AI tools and techniques


• Experience building AI based Agents using frontier models such as Gemini, Claude, etc.


• Foundational knowledge of Python and SQL, with an eagerness to learn and work with various database technologies, including non‑relational databases like Elasticsearch, Cassandra, BigQuery, or similar.


• Familiarity with containerization concepts, ideally with some exposure to Docker and container orchestration tools like Kubernetes.


• Solid programming skills, with the ability to contribute to the development and implementation of features under guidance.


• Understanding of REST APIs and how to integrate with them.


• Basic understanding of queuing technologies such as RabbitMQ or Pub/Sub, and an interest in learning to build solutions using these technologies.


• Good written and verbal communication skills, with a willingness to collaborate effectively in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with front‑end frameworks such as React is a plus.


• Exposure to cloud environments like AWS or GCP is desirable.


• Interest in threat intelligence and applied security is beneficial, but not required.


• Some exposure to API design is a plus.

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 (https://benefits.paloaltonetworks.com/) .

$126,000.00 - $204,500.00/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? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.