Principal Software Engineer (Cloud NGFW)

Palo Alto Networks

Santa Clara, CA, United StatesFull-time$156,400–$253,000Posted Oct 27, 2026

About the role

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

We are seeking an experienced Software Engineer to design, develop and deliver next-generation cloud security service technologies within our Next Generation Firewall as a Service team. We want passionate engineers who love to architect and code world-class security services on Cloud Providers. We are looking for engineers who bring new ideas in all facets of software development. They are individual leaders who take ownership of their areas of focus and who are driven to solve problems at every level. Collaboration and teamwork are at the foundation of our culture and we need engineers who can communicate at a high level and work well with others towards achieving a common goal.

Key Responsibilities

Design, develop and implement highly scalable software features on our next-generation security platform as part of NextGen Firewall as a Service.

Ownership of end to end workflow for the expanding service.

Leadership opportunity to drive collaboration with internal/external cross-functional efforts to deliver best in quality software.

Open Engineering environment to suggest and improve the development process for a v1 service.

Proactively spot, articulate, and mitigate risks in ongoing and planned projects to ensure smooth execution and high output – this may include providing ad hoc mentorship, communicating with project stakeholders, or rolling up your sleeves and stepping in to help move things along.

Collaboratively work with DevOps and the Technical Support teams to troubleshoot customer issues and build better customer experiences.

Design and build the front end for the service across multiple platforms.

Interview, mentor and coach new team members as part of the growing team.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on cloud-native application development, at large organizations or innovative startups

Strong programming skills in one of Python, Go, or Java, with experience in building distributed systems

Experience with AI coding tools .

Experience with cloud-native service development stack on AWS, Azure, GCP or OCI

Experience with complex Cloud Networking Topologies and Multi-Cloud-Interconnect

Experience with cloud development (REST APIs, Databases, Serverless computing) of distributed cloud applications

Education: M.S./B.S. degree in Computer Science Engineering or equivalent

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 accommodations@paloaltonetworks.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.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes

Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, and implement scalable features for the next-generation firewall-as-a-service platform.
  • Own end-to-end workflows for the expanding service.
  • Lead cross-functional collaboration to deliver high-quality software.
  • Identify and mitigate project risks, mentor team members, and support project execution.
  • Collaborate with DevOps and Technical Support to troubleshoot customer issues and improve customer experiences.
  • Design and build the service frontend across multiple platforms.
  • Interview, mentor, and coach new team members.

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of software engineering experience focused on cloud-native application development.
  • Strong programming skills in Python, Go, or Java, with distributed systems experience.
  • Experience with AI coding tools.
  • Experience developing cloud-native services on AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI.
  • Experience with complex cloud networking topologies and multi-cloud interconnect.
  • Experience building distributed cloud applications using REST APIs, databases, and serverless computing.
  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or equivalent.

Benefits

  • Compensation may include restricted stock units and a bonus.

Skills mentioned

GoSystem DesignDistributed SystemsREST APIsServerless ComputingCloud ComputingAWSCloud SecurityNetwork SecuritySQL

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, is shaping the cloud-centric future with technology that is transforming the way people and organizations operate. Our mission is to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life. We help address the world's greatest security challenges with continuous innovation that seizes the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, analytics, automation, and orchestration. By delivering an integrated platform and empowering a growing ecosystem of partners, we are at the forefront of protecting tens of thousands of organizations across clouds, networks, and mobile devices. Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Computer and Network Security10,001+ employeesSANTA CLARA, California

H-1B sponsorship history

Historical employer filing data was found for Palo Alto Networks. The employer record includes 2,836 historical certified applications. This is employer-level history, not a guarantee that this role currently offers sponsorship.