Principal Network Security Engineer
About The Position
As a Principal Network Security Engineer at Palo Alto Networks, you'll be a pivotal force in defining and securing our global network infrastructure. Based at our Santa Clara headquarters, this position is for a highly experienced and innovative engineer who excels in fast-paced environments and is passionate about architecting, building, and optimizing secure, scalable, and reliable network solutions. You'll operate as a recognized authority within your domain, providing technical leadership and driving the evolution of our enterprise-grade security controls. This role demands a forward-thinking mindset, deep technical expertise, and a relentless drive for automation and continuous improvement. If you're ready to spearhead critical initiatives and make a profound, company-wide impact, this is your opportunity.
Requirements
- 12+ years of progressive experience in enterprise networking and network security engineering, with a demonstrable track record of leadership in large-scale environments.
- Exceptional expertise in firewall technologies, VPN, IDS/IPS, NAC, and advanced microsegmentation strategies.
- A deep and proven background with Palo Alto Networks products and platforms is highly preferred.
- Extensive hands-on experience architecting and implementing security automation and infrastructure-as-code frameworks (Terraform, Ansible, Python, etc.).
- Mastery of routing, switching, and TCP/IP protocols; significant experience with Arista, Juniper, or equivalent enterprise-grade network hardware.
- Expert-level understanding of Zero Trust architecture principles and advanced cloud security models (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Experience with leveraging AI/ML tools to simplify operational task and build auto-healing capabilities.
- Superior troubleshooting and analytical skills to diagnose and resolve the most complex security issues.
- Exceptional communication and technical leadership skills with a proven ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and influence strategic decisions.
Responsibilities
- Architect, implement, and maintain advanced network security architectures across our global infrastructure, influencing long-term strategic direction.
- Define, develop, and enforce enterprise-wide security policies, including segmentation, access control, and traffic inspection, serving as a subject matter expert.
- Drive integration of security into all layers of network design, collaborating extensively with security, infrastructure, and IT teams.
- Proactively identify vulnerabilities and lead complex remediation efforts across on-prem and cloud environments, setting best practices.
- Leverage Palo Alto Networks products and third-party platforms to enhance network visibility, protection, and threat intelligence.
- Champion and implement advanced network security automation using scripting, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code best practices, setting the technical direction.
- Lead major incident response efforts for network security events, ensuring rapid resolution and comprehensive stakeholder communication.
- Provide technical mentorship to senior engineers, contribute significantly to our architectural standards, and foster a strong security-first culture.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
