Principal Engineer Software (Cortex)

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

We seek a Principal Software Engineer to join the Cortex DevOps group, based at our India Development Center (IDC), who is, first and foremost, a software craftsman with a passion for building innovative tools and platforms. The ideal candidate will possess a deep-rooted background in software engineering and a strong understanding of the needs and challenges of R&D and DevOps teams. This role is for a true developer at heart, someone who excels at building high-quality, maintainable, and scalable software. If you have a passion for creating tools that enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and support the operational needs of a growing infrastructure, you're the candidate we're looking for.

More information about the Cortex product can be found here

Your Impact

You will architect and implement resilient infrastructure solutions, with a strong emphasis on performance, security, and sound system design principles

You will write high-quality product and system development code that contributes to complex product and infrastructure features

You will lead the design and development of advanced features, collaborating closely with stakeholders to ensure scalable and maintainable solutions

You will initiate and drive technical design reviews, helping teams align on best practices and architectural patterns

You will provide expert-level code reviews, delivering in-depth feedback on code style, accuracy, efficiency, testability, and overall quality

You will spearhead the creation and enhancement of technical documentation, setting standards and promoting best practices across teams

You will provide advanced operational support and lead incident resolution for tools and applications maintained by the Cortex DevOps Tooling team.

Qualifications

Your Experience

10+ years of experience as a Software Engineer, demonstrating deep technical expertise, a passion for innovation, and a strong commitment to building highly reliable, scalable systems that meet strict service level objectives.

Graduate degree in the field of Computer Science.

Proficiency with software development in one or more programming languages (Python preferred)

Proficiency in developing large-scale infrastructure, distributed systems or networks, or experience with Compute technologies, storage, or hardware architecture.

Proficiency with any major Cloud Provider(s) like GCP, AWS, Azure.

Experience with developing, deploying, and / or maintaining micro-services architecture with Kubernetes

Proficiency in code and system health, diagnosis and resolution, and software test engineering.

Ability to grasp new technologies quickly and prioritize and multitask on multiple responsibilities.

Additional Information

The Team

To stay ahead of the curve, it’s critical to know where the curve is, and how to anticipate the changes we’re facing. For the fastest-growing cybersecurity company, the curve is the evolution of cyberattacks and access technology and the products and services that dedicatedly address them. Our engineering team is at the core of our products – connected directly to the mission of preventing cyberattacks and enabling secure access to all on-prem and cloud applications. They are constantly innovating – challenging the way we, and the industry, think about Access and security. These engineers aren’t shy about building products to solve problems no one has pursued before. They define the industry, instead of waiting for directions. We need individuals who feel comfortable in ambiguity, excited by the prospect of challenge, and empowered by the unknown risks facing our everyday lives that are only enabled by a secure digital environment.

Our engineering team is provided with an unrivaled chance to create the products and practices that will support our company growth over the next decade, defining the cybersecurity industry as we know it. If you see the potential of how incredible people and products can transform a business, this is the team for you. If the prospect of affecting tens of millions of people, enabling them to work remotely securely and easily in ways never done before, thrill you - you belong with us.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that 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

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? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.