Senior Principal/Architect Engineer Hardware (NetSec)

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 About the Role We are hiring a Sr Principal RF Hardware Engineer to serve as a technical leader for the design and architecture of our wireless products. In this role, you will own the RF architecture of a product family — spanning cellular (4G LTE, 5G NR Sub-6), GPS/GNSS , Antenna and cable selection for FWA, Industrial and Vehicular applications. Highly desirable: Wi-Fi (6/6E/7), and Bluetooth — Experience with end to end product design and NPI. production. You will participate in the 2–3 year RF roadmap for your wireless products/product family, lead the most challenging technical work yourself, mentor Staff and Senior engineers, and partner closely with antenna vendors, systems, firmware, regulatory, and product teams to deliver best-in-class wireless performance. This is a hands-on senior IC role for an engineer who enjoys deep technical work as much as architectural leadership — and who wants meaningful scope and influence without stepping fully out of design execution. What You'll Do RF Architecture & Design Own the RF Integration of RF modules for a product family that integrates cellular (4G LTE / 5G NR FR1), Wi-Fi (2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz), GNSS (multi-constellation, multi-band — L1/L5), and Bluetooth radios. Ensure Co-exitance between integrated radio technologies. Lead module, cable, and antenna selection for multiple radios and matching network design across all supported bands. OwnModule integration performance maintaining 3GPP and regulatory compliance. Perform coexistence/desense studies for multi-radio platforms (LTE–WLAN, NR–GNSS, Wi-Fi–BT coexistence; harmonic and intermod analysis). Drive antenna integration strategy in partnership with major antenna Vendors and validate antennas Specify and review schematics and RF PCB stack-ups/layouts, including impedance-controlled routing, grounding, shielding, and isolation strategies. Verify any RF Circuit for S-Parameteers via modeling and measurements. Investigate sources of noise and mitigate. Own EMC regulatory compliance of systems with radio modules. Work with external EMC test labs to achieve regulatory certifications like FCC, CE and industry specific certifications like IEEE1613 and IEC-61850-3. Technical Leadership Serve as the RF Technical Authority for wireless products, own resolution of the toughest desense, coexistence, and certification issues. Mentor Staff, Senior Staff, and other engineers on RF related topics; help calibrate technical leveling and contribute to interviewing and hiring. Experience integrating high performance cellular data modules in large host platforms. Drive DFM/DFT for RF enabled products and subsystems Bring-up, Validation & Certification Lead prototype bring-up and RF 3GPP Validation using Keysight UXM Cal box, Amari Network Emulator, VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, cellular/Wi-Fi testers (CMW500/CMX500, IQxel, Litepoint), and GNSS simulators (Spirent, Keysight). Define and execute RF compliance and performance test plans — conducted and radiated TRP/TIS/OTA, TX/RX characterization, EVM, ACLR, spurious emissions, blocking, and selectivity. Guide regulatory and operator certification programs: FCC, ISED, CE/RED, MIC, PTCRB, GCF, Wi-Fi Alliance, Bluetooth SIG, and Tier-1 carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile,, NTT, etc.) approvals. Own field performance debug — RSRP/RSRQ/SINR analysis, throughput optimization, GNSS C/N₀ and TTFF tuning, and root-cause investigation. Qualifications What You'll Bring Required Qualifications BS in Electrical Engineering (MS preferred) with emphasis on RF/microwave, communications, or wireless systems. 10+ years of RF hardware design experience, leading multi-radio products from concept to mass production. Deep, hands-on expertise across multiple of the following domains: Cellular: 4G LTE, 5G NR Sub-6, Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be, MU-MIMO, OFDMA, 6 GHz operation, multi-band concurrent designs. GNSS: Multi-constellation, multi-band (L1/L5), active/passive antenna integration, assisted GNSS. Proven track record of shipping wireless products at scale through carrier and regulatory certification. Expert proficiency with RF lab instrumentation: VNA, SA, VSA, VSG, noise figure analyzer, power meter, cellular/Wi-Fi/GNSS testers, anechoic chambers. Strong command of RF simulation and EM tools: ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, CST, Sonnet, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD or equivalent. Solid understanding of PCB stack-up design, controlled impedance, EMI/EMC, and high-speed digital interfaces adjacent to RF (PCIe, USB 3.x, MIPI, DDR). Demonstrated ability to lead coexistence and desense engineering in dense, multi-radio platforms. Working knowledge of 3GPP specifications (TS 36.xxx / 38.xxx series) and IEEE 802.11 specifications Preferred Qualifications Familiarity with NTN / satellite IoT, UWB, or RedCap. A track record of technical contribution — for example, a few issued or pending patents, conference papers, internal technical publications, or standards-body participation. We value demonstrated technical depth more than a specific count. Background in automotive (AEC-Q), industrial, and vehicular IoT form factors. CTIA test plan execution, or carrier lab campaign management. 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. $170,400.00 - $275,725.00/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 Please use this form to provide us with information that will help direct your request and find your data in all of our systems