Consulting Director, SOC Assessment Service, Proactive Services (Unit 42) - Remote (Santa Clara)

Job Summary

The Consulting Director will help drive the Proactive Consulting Service for the SOC assessment offering. This senior‑level consultant will serve as a trusted advisor and key contributor to helping our customers strengthen cybersecurity resilience and advance their overall security maturity. The role is remote, and hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key contributor to the development, maturation, and innovation of SOC consulting services.
• Lead and deliver technical and strategic SOC cybersecurity maturity assessments.
• Translate technical findings and observations into clear, actionable business risk implications and strategic recommendations.
• Conduct reviews and assessments based on frameworks such as NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, ISO 27001, and other industry standards.
• Provide deep subject matter expertise and delivery leadership across a range of environments, including cloud‑native, hybrid, and on‑premises ecosystems.
• Provide guidance on the development of security programs, operations models, threat detection capabilities, and incident readiness.
• Manage performance of a high‑functioning technical team.
• Drive cross‑functional value by integrating the Palo Alto Networks product platform (e.g., Cortex XSIAM, Prisma SASE, Precision AI) into consulting engagements where applicable.
• Engage in a pre‑sales capacity with client prospects, uncovering cybersecurity pain points across SOC operations.
• Identify alignment between Unit 42 solutions and customer challenges, crafting and delivering communications that clearly articulate solution value and outcomes.
• Support engagement teams in addressing and overcoming deep technical objections that arise throughout the delivery process.
• Strengthen the team’s ability to tie recommendations to each client’s unique business processes, strategic initiatives, and risk mitigation objectives.
• Lead the practice and invest in developing long‑term client relationships that support Unit 42’s goal of becoming a trusted strategic advisor.
• Lead the design, development, and delivery of consulting enablement content to grow capabilities across the Unit 42 team.
• Partner with Palo Alto Networks product development teams by contributing to feedback loops that support bi‑directional communication on product features, delivery impact, and consultant needs to reduce customer risk.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in cybersecurity, with 5+ years leading SOC‑related services or operations (e.g., SOC transformation, SOC consulting, Detection Engineering, Incident Response).
• 6+ years of professional services and consulting experience, with 3+ years in a Director (or equivalent Senior Manager) role leading consulting delivery teams strongly preferred.
• Experience managing delivery teams and influencing both internal and external stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of SOC operations, detection and response workflows, SIEM/SOAR tooling, and threat‑informed defense.
• Experience conducting SOC assessments, maturity benchmarking, incident response, or blue team capability reviews.
• Familiarity with relevant frameworks and standards (MITRE ATT&CK, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, etc.).
• Hands‑on experience with SOC technologies such as SIEM, EDR/XDR, and security in cloud‑native platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Strong consulting presence engaging with SOC Directors, technical teams, and CISOs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a record of influencing clients and internal stakeholders and demonstrated ability to write effective reports for diverse audiences.
• Strong public‑speaking and presentation skills, to effectively communicate complex SOC concepts to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of Palo Alto Networks products (e.g., Cortex suite) and how they support best‑in‑class security operations.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity, or equivalent professional experience required.
• Master’s Degree or cybersecurity certifications (CISSP, CISM, GIAC, etc.) preferred.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. The starting base salary for this non‑sales role is $183,000.00 - $252,000.00/yr. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus.

EEO and Accommodation Statement

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 apply.placed-app.com.

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.

Immigration Sponsorship

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.