Principal Consultant, Incident Recovery Operations (Unit 42)

Palo Alto Networks • Santa Clara, CA

44d • Remote

About The Position

As a Principal Consultant in Unit 42, you will lead technical engagements to help clients recover from security incidents and build effective security operations programs. You will partner with Incident Response, Threat Intelligence, and other teams to minimize organizational risk and prepare clients for the evolving threat landscape, leveraging deep knowledge from our extensive client base. This senior role is pivotal in helping clients on their worst days and strategically improving their long-term security posture.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with 15 years of relevant experience, Master's degree with 12 years of experience, or PhD with 8 years of experience.
• 6+ years of management experience leading technical teams in network engineering, system administration, or virtualization at an enterprise scale.
• Deep expertise in identity management, single sign-on (SSO), and modern authentication protocols.
• Thorough understanding of enterprise security controls, risk reduction strategies, and scalable architectures in Microsoft Active Directory (AD) and Azure AD environments.
• Strong expertise with cloud computing concepts and securing hybrid-cloud infrastructure.

Nice To Haves

• Expertise using security frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, CIS, HIPAA, PCI DSS) to harden Windows, Linux, and cloud-based environments.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tooling (e.g., Terraform, Jenkins, Packer, Ansible).
• Proven ability to manage client relationships, lead executive-level meetings, and manage multiple project teams concurrently.
• Experience securing OSX systems in an enterprise environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex Incident Response remediation engagements for global clients, with potential for up to 30% travel.
• Collaborate with Incident Response Leads to proactively address risks identified during active investigations.
• Develop detailed remediation workflows, strategic recommendations, and roadmaps aligned with cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, CIS).
• Architect and execute the rebuilding of servers and workstations using infrastructure as code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and Packer.
• Design and implement secure network topologies, infrastructure hardening, and configuration modifications informed by modern attacker techniques.
• Create and deliver comprehensive reports and presentations for both technical and executive leadership stakeholders.
• Communicate complex remediation strategies and workflows effectively to clients, including IT staff, senior leadership, and counsel.
• Ensure the preservation of data integrity to support Unit 42’s forensic investigative workflows.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior