Palo Alto Principal Engineer Software Cortex Cloud 

United States, California 

891215251

Job Summary

Forge the Future of Cloud Security

You'll be a security pioneer, designing and scaling the core backend infrastructure for the Cortex Cloud Platform. Your work will directly impact the security posture of thousands of customers across AWS, Azure, and GCP. This isn't just a role—it's your chance to own projects and architecture that define the future of cloud defense.

Key Responsibilities

• Your Mission : The Principal Impact
• As a technical leader, you'll be the driving force behind high-impact projects, moving them from initial concept to full-scale deployment
• Own the Architecture: Lead the design and implementation of large-scale, resilient distributed systems
• Drive Execution: Serve as the project lead, aligning key stakeholders—from Product Management and UX to fellow engineering teams—to ensure seamless, timely delivery
• Cross-Functional Mastery: Act as a technical consultant and collaborator across team boundaries, proactively identifying and mitigating risks in design and execution
• Data at Scale: Design, build, and optimize data models and high-performance queries using cutting-edge technologies like MySQL and BigQuery to handle massive data throughput
• Mentor and Elevate: Actively mentor and guide engineers across the department, raising the bar for engineering excellence and best practices

Preferred Qualifications

What You'll Bring: The Core Experience

• You are a seasoned engineer who lives and breathes cloud-native development and is ready to step into a Principal role
• 7+ years of progressive software engineering experience, with a heavy focus on developing cloud-native applications at scale
• Expert-level programming skills in at least one of: Python, Go, or Java
• Deep practical experience in distributed systems architecture and microservices
• Proven ability to build and deliver high-volume services, leveraging technologies like ElasticSearch, Pub/Sub, REST APIs, and Serverless computing
• Exceptional troubleshooting abilities and a "can-do" attitude when faced with complex, ambiguous problems
• A strong understanding of public cloud design considerations (security, networking, load balancing) and the limitations of building services at a global scale
• Experience acting as a hands-on tech lead or architect, making data-driven trade-off judgments

Salary 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/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $147000/YR - $237500/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found .

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.