Senior Manager, Software Engineering

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.

Job Summary

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

The Senior Software Engineering Manager will oversee a team of innovative engineers designing and developing security features for our next-generation firewalls. This role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and a commitment to instilling a quality-focused mindset across the organization. You will drive the building of global products and bring new ideas to the security discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the innovation, design, and development of new security features in next-generation firewalls.

• Focus on Layer 7 identity and inspection to enhance security capabilities.

• Partner with Product, Design, and Engineering Leadership to align priorities with platform strategy.

• Establish technical direction and influence architectural decisions for services operating at enterprise scale.

• Mentor engineering managers and senior engineers, fostering leadership growth and organizational effectiveness.

• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, innovation, and strong engineering fundamentals.

• Conduct weekly one-on-ones, mid-year, and year-end performance reviews with direct reports.

• Review career development opportunities and individual resource loading across multiple programs.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in software and networking, with a strong focus on network security.

• Proven track record of successfully leading Software Engineering teams and delivering high-quality, complex design solutions.

• Prior experience in a managerial or engineering leadership role.

• Strong hands-on development experience with C, C++, or Go on Unix systems.

• Proven track record of successfully managing high-stakes customer issues and technical escalations.

• Deep understanding of VPN and remote access technologies is preferred.

• Familiarity with modern infrastructure, including microservices, cloud development, and Kubernetes is preferred.

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.