Senior Principal Software Engineer — Layer 7 Security
About The Position
At Palo Alto Networks, the mission is to protect our digital way of life by solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology. The company values Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion, and integrates AI into its operations. Collaboration is emphasized, with most teams working full-time from the office with some flexibility. The Engineering team is central to preventing cyberattacks, constantly innovating and defining the cybersecurity industry. The Layer 7 security team is seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer to lead the design and development of next-generation Layer 7 security capabilities. This strategic role involves driving innovation in systems operating at massive scale to protect mission-critical infrastructure worldwide. The engineer will define architecture, influence product direction, and lead the development of security technologies to address evolving threats, requiring deep expertise in systems programming, networking, distributed systems, and a track record of delivering high-performance, production-grade software.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or related technical field, or equivalent practical/military experience
- 12+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant time in senior technical leadership roles
- Expert-level proficiency in C and strong proficiency in Go
- Extensive experience developing in Unix/Linux environments
- Proven experience designing and building large-scale, high-performance distributed systems
- Deep expertise in networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP internals and network security technologies
- Advanced experience with multi-threaded, multi-process, and multi-core system design
- Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and systems-level performance optimization
- Demonstrated ability to lead architecture and deliver complex, cross-functional initiatives
- Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders
Nice To Haves
- Experience with cloud platforms, orchestration systems, and containerized deployments
- Expertise in TLS/SSL internals, cryptography, and libraries such as OpenSSL
- Experience with HTTP protocols and backend service development
- Proficiency in Python for tooling, automation, or system integration
Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture, design, and development of advanced Layer 7 security capabilities within next-generation firewall platforms
- Drive the development of highly scalable, real-time, distributed cloud security systems
- Define and implement robust, high-performance, and maintainable system architectures
- Set technical direction for critical components, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security
- Partner with product management, security research, and platform teams to translate complex requirements into executable designs
- Lead end-to-end execution across the software development lifecycle, from concept through deployment and sustainment
- Establish and enforce engineering best practices, including code quality, performance optimization, and secure development
- Mentor senior and junior engineers, and elevate the technical capabilities of the organization
- Identify architectural, tooling, and process gaps and drive improvements at an organizational level
- Serve as a technical authority for debugging, performance tuning, and complex system challenges
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
