Principal Software Engineer (Next Generation Firewall)

Palo Alto Networks•Santa Clara, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

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. Job Summary Your Career Palo Alto Networks NGFW (Next Generation Firewall) group is looking for a seasoned and accomplished AI-first mindset QA/Automation engineer with experience in validating core networking & security features in the QA team. You will be part of a world-class software test engineering team that works on various ground-breaking technologies (Cloud Identity, Data Loss Prevention, Post quantum cryptography, IoT Security etc) in the Layer 4-7 domain. You will work with a multi- functional team of engineers solving interesting problems in the area of L4-7 security. We are looking for highly motivated engineers who have intellectual curiosity, adapt AI tools in solving complex problems with variable factors and creativity in obtaining solutions. We are looking for leaders who take ownership of their areas of focus and who are driven to pursue problems at every level. Collaboration is at the heart of our culture and we need engineers who can communicate at a high level and work well with multi-functional teams towards achieving a common goal.

Requirements

Strong automation/programming experience in Python
Working knowledge and experience with TCP/IP, application layer protocols
Hands on experience testing network and/or other security products
Familiarity with Agentic AI architecture
Familiarity with agentic frameworks like ADK, langchain etc
Ability to leverage agentic AI for code generation, debugging, refactoring, and testing, as well as troubleshoot complex autonomous systems.
Expertise in navigating sensitive customer escalations and conducting deep-dive Root Cause Analysis (RCA).

Nice To Haves

Experience with GCP, AWS or other cloud infra, CI/CD tools such as Jenkins
Graduate degree (BS or MS) in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or similar technical discipline or equivalent military experience required
8+ years of experience in Test Engineering

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end validation for critical networking and security features, solving key customer problems.
Lead end-to-end automated validation (using Agentic AI approaches) for critical security and cloud features, solving key customer problems.
Drive & Innovate quality initiatives with an AI-first mindset to improve the QA process and automation frameworks.
Mentor and coach new team members, including participating in interviews to help grow the team's capabilities.
Adapt by staying updated with advancements and the usage of AI (for coding, quality processes, etc.), evaluating their relevance, and incorporating them to enhance systems.
Responsible for identifying 'the why' behind service disruptions and driving continuous improvement initiatives.