Senior Finance Manager - Cortex

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

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 has an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Finance Manager professional to join our team. In this role, you will report directly to the Director, Cortex & Cloud Finance and work with the Cortex & Cloud Finance Team and business partners to help build and deliver on our financial plans, support strategic decision-making, provide financial insight, and help build operational rigor and efficiency. We are seeking a self-starter with strong analytical skills, a passion for driving change in a fast-paced environment, and an effective communicator - all-in-one.

As a Senior Finance Manager, you will partner with GTM (Go-To-Market) and product leadership teams to provide valuable insights, and financial leadership to the Cortex business within Palo Alto Networks. Success in this role requires a strong analytical ability, excellent organization and communication skills, and the ability to support/enable process improvement and insights across all the key FP&A areas.

Cortex is a family of products that safeguards organizations with proven endpoint security, detection, response, automation and attack surface management. More information about Cortex products can be found here ( .

Your Impact:

Financial Analysis and Planning:

• Develop and maintain comprehensive long-term financial models for the Cortex business, incorporating analytical, data-driven rigor to support planning and decision-making processes.

• Be a Strategist: You will have many opportunities to dig deeper into the business to provide actionable insights and recommendations through data analysis.

Business Partnership:

• Collaborate closely with Cortex leadership to derive insights, shape strategy, and drive actionable takeaways that align with organizational goals.

• Architect of visual presentation - your analytical, storytelling and design skills will be very handy for our monthly and quarterly performance review decks, as well as other custom business presentations to senior management

• Evaluate ROI and enforce financial discipline: Partner with business leaders to assess the return on investment for strategic initiatives and capital expenditures, tracking key KPIs to proactively flag risks and recommend course corrections.

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Financial Performance and Reporting:

• Own key Cortex & Cloud financial metrics, including ARR, Bookings, Revenue, Margins, Renewal rate, Customer Lifetime Value. You will own the process, build financial models, and identify key trends.

• Deliver monthly and quarterly quantitative and qualitative analyses of financial results, including variances to plan, highlighting key issues, risks, and actionable insights.

Process Improvement and Systems:

• Identify opportunities to enhance financial systems, processes, and controls to optimize efficiency and accuracy in financial reporting and analysis, including SaaS measurement and management.

• Contribute to and improve the planning and forecasting processes across the corporate finance organization, utilizing internal financial forecast models, systems, and tools

Budgeting, Forecasting & Cost Management

• Lead end-to-end financial planning: Direct the annual operating plan (AOP) and monthly forecast processes, establishing a predictable financial cadence for the business unit.

• Drive strategic headcount planning: Manage the complete HC budgeting and forecasting cycle, ensuring human capital and resource investments align with business growth goals.

• Manage costs and analyze variances: Conduct rigorous month-over-month variance analysis (Actuals vs. Budget/Forecast) and implement proactive cost management strategies to optimize operational expenses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics (or similar) preferred

• 10+ years of related experience with evidence of career progression. Prior SaaS experience is highly preferred. Prior Corporate FP&A experience and/or familiarity with US GAAP revenue standards for technology companies/SAAS companies is a plus

• Strong financial modeling capability; power Excel user

• Strong experience in managing large datasets, applying relevant statistical frameworks and concepts, and deriving executive-level insights.

• Strong experience with data analytics tools (e.g. Tableau, SQL)

• Analytical problem-solver with the ability to gather, analyze and synthesize large amounts of data in order to drive effective and efficient executive decision-making.

• Experience with a combination of the following: ARR, MRR, SaaS Metrics, Bookings, Renewals

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders clearly.

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 ( .

$140,000.00 - $226,500.00/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? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.