Sr. Principal Software Engineer (L7 Security)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity and stock options

Comprehensive health benefits

Work-life balance initiatives

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is seeking a Sr. Principal Software Engineer to enhance secure cloud environments with an AI-first approach. This role involves leading cloud security automation and implementing innovative infrastructure solutions.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in cloud technologies, specifically GCP and Kubernetes, as well as strong programming skills. A passion for tackling cyber threats is essential. This position is based in San Francisco, California, offering competitive compensation and an environment that promotes collaboration and innovation.

Qualifications

• 15 years of experience designing and developing scalable software and infrastructure solutions.
• 3-4 years of experience managing cross-functional projects in a dynamic environment.
• Deep expertise in GCP and Kubernetes orchestration.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement GCP cloud infrastructure solutions.
• Lead weekly global production upgrade cycles.
• Manage and optimize production database infrastructure.

Skills

GCP

Kubernetes orchestration

C programming

Python programming

Go programming

GitOps workflows

Network troubleshooting

Multi-threaded programming

Large-scale distributed design

Database management

Education

B.S. degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

Terraform

Prometheus

Grafana

GitLab

Jenkins

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.

The Team

Engineering – Our engineering team is at the core of our products and connected directly to the mission of preventing cyberattacks. We are constantly innovating — challenging the way we, and the industry, think about cybersecurity. Our engineers don’t shy away from building products to solve problems no one has pursued before. We define the industry instead of waiting for directions. We need individuals who feel comfortable in ambiguity, excited by the prospect of a challenge, and empowered by the unknown risks facing our everyday lives that are only enabled by a secure digital environment.

Job Summary

As a Sr. Principal Software Engineer, you will own and shape the future of secure cloud environments using an AI‑first mindset. You will lead the charge in cloud security automation, driving extreme efficiency to proactively identify and prevent misconfigurations. Operating with high autonomy, your mission is to innovate and implement cutting‑edge infrastructure solutions that prevent cyberattacks. You will not just maintain infrastructure, but redefine how the industry approaches cloud security and automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement GCP cloud infrastructure solutions, including compute reservations, BigTable, SQL, Pub/Sub, and networking.
• Lead weekly global production upgrade cycles, managing branch‑out processes, version gating, and rollback procedures.
• Own end‑to‑end service deployments on Kubernetes, from Helm chart creation to production rollout and scaling.
• Manage and optimize production database infrastructure, including MySQL, Redis, BigQuery, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL.
• Utilize AI tools to optimize coding, automate tasks, and contribute to AI‑native infrastructure like Vertex AI.
• Manage multi‑tenant customer infrastructure, including dedicated compute reservations, provisioning, and feature flag management.
• Develop internal Python CLI tools and automation scripts to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
• Drive cloud cost optimization through resource right‑sizing, reservation management, and database disk reduction.
• Enhance service reliability by establishing SLAs, comprehensive monitoring, and participating in production on‑call rotations.
• Innovate, design, and improve the Next‑Generation Firewall and GlobalProtect functionality and performance.
• Own and deliver high‑quality features and improvements for critical Next‑Generation Firewall system components.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally as a networking and security expert to architect innovative software solutions.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, a similar technical discipline, or equivalent practical or military experience.
• 15 years of experience designing and developing scalable software and infrastructure solutions.
• 3 to 4 years of experience managing cross‑functional projects in a dynamic environment.
• Deep expertise in GCP and Kubernetes orchestration, including HPA, Node Pools, and Terraform.
• Strong programming skills in C, Python, and Go for automation and backend development.
• Experience managing production databases and standard Linux or Networking troubleshooting.
• Proficiency with GitOps workflows like Flux or ArgoCD and CI/CD pipelines such as GitLab or Jenkins.
• Experience with networking development, HTTP, TCP/UDP, socket programming, and web server backends.
• Proficient in using LLM‑based agents like Cursor or Claude Code for coding and architecture.
• Experience with multi‑threaded programming and large‑scale, distributed software design.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to collaborate effectively with multi‑functional groups.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Computer Science or a similar technical discipline.
• Experience with AI‑native infrastructure, including Vertex AI and AI Gateways.
• Familiarity with observability stacks such as Prometheus and Grafana.
• Experience managing Multi‑tenant SaaS platforms and cloud environments like AWS or OCI.
• Willingness to participate in on‑call rotations and provide off‑hours support.

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.

$170,000.00 - $277,000.00/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.