Principal Engineer Software (NGFW) - NetSec

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

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.

Your Career

We are looking for motivated, smart, hardworking and passionate individuals to join the Next-gen Firewall data plane team. You will be part of a world-class software engineering team that works on various cutting-edge technologies for the firewall. As a member of a data plane networking software group, you will be responsible for designing and developing the next-generation firewall. You will take ownership for large software components, work with product management on real life customer requirements, apply your knowledge to functional design, utilize your programming skills for efficient and robust implementation, and interact with quality assurance and field support teams in the whole software development cycle. The culture at Palo Alto Networks is creative, dynamic and inspiring to tackle real work Cyber-attacks.

Your Impact

• Responsible for development of NextGen Network Security Components and Protocols for State-of-the-art firewalls deployed at Enterprise, Data Center, Cloud, and Service Provider environments.
• Lead the development of L2-L4 network security features, including stateful TCP/UDP inspection, across both hardware and virtual platforms.
• Develop scalable flow architecture for packet processing pipeline using DPDK for multi-core platforms and interface with ASIC functions.
• Develop scalable software solutions for a distributed session architecture spanning across a cluster of firewalls.
• Support critical customer escalations and provide root cause analysis in a timely manner;
• Work with multi-functional team members on feature requirements, including but not limited to Product Management, QA, Support, etc
• Product visionary, ideas on competitive edge, Effective decision maker, take ownership and independently drive, lead tasks and assignments

Your Experience

• 10+ years of strong experience in C Programming and large scale software development on Unix/Linux.
• Expert in common network protocols such as TCP/IP, IPv4, IPv6, multicast.
• Expert in data plane technologies like DPDK based packet processing and performance tuning along with packet Latency / Loss analysis.
• Expert in typical network device features like NAT, ALG, DoS Protection.
• Strong experience in packet processing, parsing, networking (L2 -L4) protocols/architecture, Layer-2/Layer-3/Layer-4 packet flow.
• Expert in computer architecture, cybersecurity, distributed systems.
• Good to have experience in using Broadcom/Marvell chips for switching, QoS and interface management
• In-depth understanding of common software vulnerabilities and mitigations.
• In-depth understanding of linux systems.
• Expert C, Python, Shell script programming skills.
• Tech lead experience in networking domains.
• Strong communication skills to work effectively with multi-functional groups.
• Strong Experience in C++/JAVA programming and XML/JSON understanding is desirable.
• Can-do attitude and ability to take initiative and drive open issues to completion
• BS/MS degree in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent experience

The Team

Our engineering team is at the core of our products – connected directly to the mission of preventing cyberattacks. We are constantly innovating – challenging the way we, and the industry, think about cybersecurity. Our engineers don’t shy away from building products to solve problems no one has pursued before.

We define the industry, instead of waiting for directions. We need individuals who feel comfortable in ambiguity, excited by the prospect of a challenge, and empowered by the unknown risks facing our everyday lives that are only enabled by a secure digital environment.

Our Commitment
We’re problem solvers that 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.