Sr. Director, Finance - SASE

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Job Description

Your Career

Palo Alto Networks is looking for an experienced finance leader to provide decision support as the Senior Director, Finance - SASE The ideal candidate is a self-starter, strategic thinker, team developer, and enjoys collaborating with a diverse set of functional leaders in a dynamic fast-paced environment.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, Network Security, this role will oversee our SASE business consisting of a true SaaS (Prisma Access) model and a hybrid (SD-WAN) model.  Each includes both new and renewal components. The leader for this organization will work closely with executives in Product, GTM, Strategy, Corp FP&A, etc up to the SVP level.  The role will help to set the strategy, define pricing, upsell and expansion efforts, etc. We need someone with financial gravitas to influence business leaders, and the ability to continue to develop a strong team.   

Your Impact

• Interact with the senior leadership team to determine new product roadmap, winning growth strategy, priorities, and to provide regular visibility of progress 
• Ensure depth of understanding around cost structures, mix, discounts, and overall gross margin performance
• Build and develop a high-performing team demonstrating a ‘CFO Mindset’ while fostering a culture of growth, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking
• Work with the leadership team, the product management team, and go-to-market leadership to develop and execute strategies to continue growth above market rate levels
• Develop and present strategic insights about the products, their competition, and customer adoption
• Partner with key stakeholders to socialize and drive support for your vision across executive leadership, product design, marketing, customer success, and sales
• Conduct in-depth analysis of the competition to ensure Palo Alto Networks maintains its leadership position and tracks to its investor thesis
• Closely track industry trends and adapt accordingly
• Understand customer Hardware to Software transitions; Lead the definition of cloud pricing and licensing strategy in support of customers transitioning from on-prem business models
• Within strategic parameters, maximize revenue by establishing margin goals for the field, developing expansion GTM motions, and improving end-user and partner discounting over time
• Support deal desk in carrying out deal profitability analyses and optimizing deal structures
• Work cross-functionally to manage the licensing process, reducing complexity and ensuring customer satisfaction

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or equivalent - advanced degree or equivalent military experience or qualification (e.g., CPA, MBA) strongly preferred
• 10+ years of finance/managerial experience with progressing responsibilities  
• Experi