Principal Software Engineer - Network Security - PanOS

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

We are seeking innovative engineers to design and develop security features for our next-generation firewalls. As a key member of the Layer-7 Security group, you will take ownership of your focus areas, applying your programming skills to solve real-world security problems. You will collaborate with multi-functional teams including product management, quality assurance, and field support throughout the entire software development cycle. This role requires a drive to build global products and a passion for bringing new ideas to the security discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Innovate, design, and develop new security features in our next-generation firewalls, focusing on Layer 7 identity and inspection.

• Develop functional specifications, assess task requirements and scheduling, and assist in development, debugging, and support.

• Suggest and implement improvements to the development process.

• Clearly communicate goals and desired outcomes to internal project teams.

• Interview, mentor, and coach new team members.

• Identify performance bottlenecks and continuously implement improvements.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, a similar technical discipline, or equivalent practical/military experience.

• Strong proficiency in C and C++ programming languages on Unix-based platforms.

• Solid understanding of software development methodologies, version control systems, and agile practices.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

• Verbal and written communication skills to work with multi-functional groups.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree (MS or Ph.D.) in Computer Science or a similar technical discipline.

• In-depth knowledge of networking concepts, including TCP/IP, and familiarity with security protocols such as TLS and L4-L7 protocols.

• Experience working with TLS and Web proxies.

• Experience in developing and optimizing software for performance, scalability, and security.

• Excellent understanding of various AI agents and ability to use them as a co-pilot.

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 sale