Principal Software Engineer (Prisma Access)

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

Job Summary
As a Principal Software Engineer for Prisma Access, you will lead the architecture, systems design, and performance optimization of cloud infrastructure underpinning Palo Alto Networks' flagship solution.

In this role, you will bridge low-level Linux systems programming, packet processing, and routing protocols with hyper-scale multi-cloud infrastructure.

You will be responsible for building, hardening, and scaling resilient, multi-cloud network data paths and control plane connectivity running globally across AWS, GCP, and OCI. We are looking for a hands-on systems leader who excels at diagnosing complex networking bottlenecks, designing carrier-grade distributed systems, and adopting modern, AI-augmented engineering workflows to drive engineering velocity.

Key Responsibilities & Impact

• Drive deep kernel-level profiling, TCP/IP stack tuning, socket optimization, memory/CPU cache efficiency, and interrupt handling to achieve deterministic, low-latency packet forwarding.
• Architect, optimize, and maintain high-throughput networking pipelines, kernel/user-space data paths, and control plane routing engines across distributed multi-cloud footprints.
• Design resilient, hyper-scale cloud connectivity topologies across AWS, GCP, and OCI—integrating cloud-native primitives (Transit Gateways, Cloud Routers, Interconnect/Direct Connect) with software-defined overlays and containerized workloads.
• Establish systems-level telemetry, distributed tracing, and deep packet inspection diagnostics to ensure adherence to strict SLAs and SLOs.
• Build scalable automation for fleet provisioning, configuration deployment, and validation using Terraform, Kubernetes, and Python-based toolchains.
• Champion engineering efficiency by integrating agentic coding environments, automated diagnostic harnesses, and AI-assisted workflows (e.g., Cursor, Claude, autonomous testing agents) into day-to-day systems development.
• Partner with Product Management, Cloud Architecture, SecOps, and Support to resolve complex customer escalations, establish architectural standards, conduct rigorous design reviews, and mentor senior systems engineers.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive systems engineering and software development experience in cloud networking infrastructure, high-throughput systems, or distributed security platforms.
• Strong programming proficiency in C/C++, Go, or Rust, combined with extensive scripting and automation experience in Python.
• Hands-on expertise in the Linux networking subsystem (netfilter, iptables/nftables, network namespaces, routing tables, socket programming) and high-performance packet acceleration frameworks (eBPF, DPDK, or SR-IOV).
• Knowledge of dynamic routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), routing daemons (e.g., FRR, BIRD), tunneling protocols (IPSec, GRE, WireGuard), and core transport protocols (TCP/UDP, SSL/TLS, QUIC).
• Demonstrated track record of deploying and operating mission-critical network appliances or services within AWS, GCP, or OCI environments.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical industry experience.

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.

$156,400.00 - $253,000.00/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 [email protected].

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