Sr Staff Engineer Software

Palo Alto Networks; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a senior software engineer to architect and scale microservices, collaborating with product and infrastructure teams to deliver robust, secure solutions.

You will apply CI/CD practices, modern AI-assisted development tools, and cloud-native patterns, with emphasis on REST/SOAP, identity standards, and reliable cloud platforms.

Qualifications

• BS or higher in CS or related field with 5+ years of software engineering experience.
• 2+ years building and operating large-scale microservices.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, AWS EKS, GKE, or AKS, including observability and reliability patterns.
• Proficiency with AI-assisted development tools (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot).
• Experience with .NET technologies and REST/SOAP web services and authentication standards.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure, automation, and deployment pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement highly scalable, distributed microservices.
• Own end-to-end execution of complex initiatives delivering secure, scalable solutions.
• Partner with engineering, product, and infrastructure to translate requirements into robust designs.
• Drive CI/CD practices, automated testing, and code quality improvements.
• Diagnose and resolve production issues and lead root-cause analyses.
• Mentor junior engineers through design discussions and code reviews.

Skills

Software engineering

Distributed systems

AI-assisted tools

Communication skills

Education

B.S. or higher in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS EKS

GKE

AKS

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement highly scalable, distributed, and fault-tolerant microservices that support rapid growth and evolving business requirements.

• Own the end-to-end execution of complex initiatives, delivering high-quality, maintainable, secure, and scalable solutions.

• Partner closely with engineering, product, and infrastructure teams to evaluate feature requests and translate business needs into robust technical designs.

• Drive continuous, iterative development using test-driven methodology, automated testing, and CI/CD practices to maximize code quality, supportability, and performance.

• Diagnose and resolve complex production issues, partner with Support teams on customer escalations, and lead root-cause analyses.

• Mentor and guide junior engineers through design discussions, pair programming, and code reviews to elevate technical capability across the team.

• Leverage AI/ML to automate incident detection, root cause analysis, and remediation - reducing toil and accelerating mean time to resolution

#KR1

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in Computer Science or related technical field (or equivalent practical experience), with 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.

• 2+ years of hands-on experience building, scaling, and operating large-scale microservices and distributed cloud-native applications (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

• Solid experience building and operating microservices on containerized platforms (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS EKS, GKE, or AKS), including service meshes, autoscaling, observability, and production reliability patterns.

• Demonstrated, hands-on proficiency with modern AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot) to accelerate design, implementation, and code reviews, with a clear judgment of when to leverage AI.

• Technical Stack & Identity Domain:

• Experience with .NET technologies (e.g., .NET / .NET Core and related frameworks).

• Expertise in REST/SOAP web services and knowledge of authentication/identity standards (SAML, WS-Fed, OpenID Connect, OAuth).

• Experience with cloud infrastructure, automation, and deployment pipelines.

• Strong knowledge of databases and caching technologies (PostgreSQL, Redis), data modeling, performance profiling, threat modeling, and secure-by-default design principles.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and strong written/verbal communication skills to collaborate effectively and articulate technical trade-offs across cross-functional teams.

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with Directory Services (e.g., Active Directory) is a plus.

• Exposure to DevSecOps, compliance, and FinOps practices is a plus

• Expertise in Infrastructure as Code with tools such as Terraform, Ansible 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?: Yes