Sr Staff Engineer Software (Data Plane Applications)

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.

The Team

Engineering - Our engineering team is at the core of our products – 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.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Software Engineer to design, develop, and deliver next-generation technologies within our Prisma Access team. In this role, you will take ownership of your focus areas to solve complex problems at every level. You will be instrumental in designing and building great products, bringing new ideas in all facets of software development while collaborating with a high-performing team to achieve common goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement highly scalable software features and infrastructure for our next-generation security platform, ensuring readiness for cloud-native deployment.

• Proactively collaborate with development and quality assurance groups to achieve the highest quality standards by creating tools, processes, and systems that promote transparency and alignment.

• Profile, optimize, and tune systems software, including management, control, and data planes, for efficient and high-performance cloud operation.

• Work closely with DevOps and Technical Support teams to troubleshoot and resolve complex customer issues in a timely manner.

• Partner with other software development teams to integrate and apply PanOS features effectively on the Prisma Access platform.

• Contribute to team growth by interviewing, mentoring, and coaching new team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and excellence.

Required Qualifications

• M.S./B.S. degree in Computer Science or equivalent military experience.

• 5+ years of experience in developing and troubleshooting dataplane applications.

• Hands-on programming experience in Python and Go.

• In-depth understanding of Operating System principles (e.g., Linux/Unix) and networking concepts, including the TCP/IP stack and TLS.

• Solid foundation in design, data structures, and algorithms, with strong analytical and debugging skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Programming experience in C/C++.

• Experience with building and deploying applications in a cloud environment.

• Exposure to building Microservices-based architectures.

• Experience with LLMs, GenAI applications, or Machine Learning/Data Science (ETL, dataset curation, running evaluations).

The Team

Our engineering team is at the core of our products – 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.

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/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $170,000 - $190,000/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

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  [email protected].

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