Principal Software Engineer - ADEM Agent (Client/Endpoint Focus)

Palo Alto Networks • Santa Clara, CA

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About The Position

The ADEM engineering team is the engine of innovation at Palo Alto Networks. We don't just follow industry trends; we create them. As a Principal Engineer focused on the Agent, you will be at the center of this mission, tackling "impossible" problems in scale, security, and performance at the most critical point: the user's endpoint. We look for leaders who are comfortable in deep ambiguity, possess an insatiable curiosity, and are driven to build technology that protects the digital way of life for the world's largest enterprises.

Palo Alto Networks' ADEM (Autonomous Digital Experience Management) group is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to serve as a primary architect and technical visionary for our ADEM Agent/Client software. In this high-impact role, you will be responsible for the technical roadmap of the ADEM Agent, ensuring its performance, security, and stability across millions of endpoints. You will solve the most complex operating system and networking challenges at the client level, mentor the next generation of technical leaders, and bridge the gap between long-term product vision and world-class engineering execution for the endpoint experience.

Requirements

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, with a significant portion dedicated to designing and operating complex, resource-constrained client-side or endpoint software in a large-scale deployment.
• Advanced AI-Augmented Development: As a leader in engineering efficiency, you must be an expert in leveraging AI-powered development tools—including Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub Copilot—to radically accelerate the SDLC and automate complex refactoring and testing workflows.
• Cross-Platform Systems Mastery: Proven track record of architecting and shipping production-quality software for multiple operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) with a deep understanding of OS internals, networking stacks (L3-L7), and system performance tuning.
• Expertise in C/C++, Rust, or Go (Golang) for high-performance client development is required.
• Endpoint Security & Resilience: Deep authoritative knowledge of endpoint security mechanisms (e.g., integrity checks, sandboxing, driver development) and the ability to design agents that are resilient to tampering while maintaining a minimal security posture.
• Data Acquisition Pipeline Innovation: Experience building robust, secure, and resource-efficient data collection and buffering mechanisms within an agent, utilizing technologies for local data persistence and secure transfer.
• Security & Networking Visionary: Deep understanding of Zero Trust architecture principles applied at the endpoint, L3-L7 networking interception, and advanced encryption standards to ensure the ADEM Agent remains the most secure platform in the industry.

Nice To Haves

• A history of contributing to open-source projects (e.g., related to system monitoring, networking drivers) or speaking at industry conferences is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Client-Side Architecture & Roadmap: Define the long-term architectural vision for the ADEM Agent across Linux, Windows, macOS, and mobile platforms, ensuring robust performance, minimal resource consumption.
• OS/Kernel-Level Governance: Lead the "Design Review Board" for all Agent-side features, ensuring all components adhere to Secure AI by Design, operate with high-availability patterns in diverse OS environments, and maintain a low CPU/memory footprint.
• Data Acquisition & Resilience: Drive the evolution of the Agent's telemetry collection and processing pipeline, optimizing for low-latency, encrypted data transfer and ensuring resilience in low-bandwidth or disconnected environments.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Product Management, Core Infrastructure, and Security teams to translate ambiguous business requirements into robust, high-performance technical specifications for the client software.
• Engineering Excellence & Mentorship: Act as a force multiplier by mentoring Staff and Senior engineers, fostering a culture of rigorous platform-specific testing, high code quality, and proactive technical debt management within the Agent codebase.
• Crisis Leadership: Serve as the ultimate technical escalation point for complex, systemic production issues related to endpoint stability or performance, leading post-mortems that drive permanent architectural improvements in the Agent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees