Principal Software Engineer (Cloud Network and AI Security)

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 Join our Cloud Network and AI Security team and contribute to developing next‑generation virtualization and service offerings for our Next‑Gen firewalls and AI Runtime security solutions. You will be pivotal in designing and implementing new features and integrations across various cloud environments including public and private clouds, and Kubernetes clusters, focusing particularly on core platform and network improvements in both virtual machines and container form factors. Key Responsibilities Design and implement new features and integrations for virtualization features across diverse cloud environments and deployments. Engage in all phases of the product development cycle from concept definition, design, through implementation, and testing. Develop comprehensive functional specifications, evaluate task requirements and timelines, and contribute to design, development, debugging, and support processes. Hands‑on experience with virtualization technologies, various hypervisors, system software, and networking. Qualifications Required Qualifications 10+ years of related engineering experience. Strong expertise in programming languages such as C, Python, and Go . Proficiency in low‑level linux systems programming technologies such as eBPF . Strong knowledge in network security fields like stateful firewall, packet processing, and network ACL. Strong scripting skills in bash and Python . Experience with cloud deployments on platforms like Azure, AWS, and GCP . Knowledge of network virtualization technologies like DPDK, XDP . BS/MS degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering or equivalent or equivalent military experience. Preferred Qualifications Experience with Kubernetes and CNI . Familiarity with cloud service architectures, including compute, networking, load‑balancers, and identity management. Familiarity with Terraform/CFT/PowerShell ARM templates . Compensation Disclosure The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non‑sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/com‑missioned roles) is expected to be the annual range listed below. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here ( $170,000.00 - $277,000.00/yr Our Commitment We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes #J-18808-Ljbffr Palo Alto Networks