Sr. Director of Software Engineering, AI-Enabled Solutions & Products (Santa Clara)

The Team

Network Security (NetSec) Engineering – Our team is at the core of Palo Alto Networks’ mission, developing the industry’s most advanced security platforms. We are now expanding our focus to build a suite of internal and customer-facing AI-enabled solutions designed to automate a variety of operations, and revolutionize how our teams interact with complex data. You will lead a specialized group of software engineers dedicated to integrating Generative AI and automation into the very DNA of our NetSec product portfolio and beyond.

Job Summary

As the Director of Software Engineering for AI-Enabled Solutions and Products, you will lead the development of a diverse portfolio of AI-driven solutions that enhance our Network Security capabilities. You will be responsible for bridging the gap between core security engineering and cutting‑edge AI application, creating solutions that solve complex operational challenges. This role requires a leader who is equally comfortable discussing large‑scale software architecture and the nuances of LLM integration, while scaling high‑performing teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Your Impact

• Define and execute the roadmap for AI-enabled solutions within the NetSec organization, focusing on high-impact areas across various business processes
• Drive the architectural direction for scalable, cloud-native applications that leverage AI/ML to solve real-world security problems.
• Partner with NetSec product leaders, AI Research teams, and Cloud Operations to ensure AI solutions are seamlessly integrated and production-ready.
• Build and mentor a multi-disciplinary engineering organization. You will be responsible for recruiting and developing top-tier talent and managers focused on the intersection of SWE and AI.
• Identify opportunities to export successful AI solutions methodologies from NetSec to other organizations within Palo Alto Networks, driving a company-wide AI-first mindset.
• Oversee the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), ensuring high-quality, secure, and performant code delivery in a continuous integration environment.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of software development experience, with a proven track record of shipping large-scale, enterprise-grade cloud services or internal product platforms.
• 6+ years of formal engineering management experience, including experience managing other managers and leading geographically distributed teams.
• Deep hands-on experience in modern software languages (e.g., Python, Golang, Java) and cloud-native infrastructure (AWS/GCP, Kubernetes, Microservices).
• Recent experience delivering software products that utilize AI/ML, specifically involving LLM orchestration, AI Agents, RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), or AI-driven automation workflows.
• Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical strategies to executive leadership and influence stakeholders across different business units.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep experience in network security, threat detection, or cloud-based security solutions.
• Familiarity with AI development frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex) and MLOps best practices for deploying and monitoring AI applications at scale.
• BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Proven track record of taking a vague problem statement and turning it into a successful, AI-enabled software product.

Compensation Disclosure

$250,000.00 - $344,500.00/yr

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.