Sr Staff Engineer Software

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
Palo Alto Networks' SD-WAN group is looking for an exceptionally skilled Senior Staff Software Engineer. This pivotal individual contributor role demands deep expertise in core networking, security, and a keen understanding of security certification needs for network and firewall appliances. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of our next-generation SD-WAN platform, driving the architecture, design, and development of its core software components alongside a world-class team. We require strong proficiency in networking protocols, distributed systems, and modern software engineering practices.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the architectural design and development of critical software modules for our SD-WAN platform, including control plane, data plane, orchestration, and management components.
Write high-quality, scalable, efficient, and well-tested code primarily in C/C++, Go, or Python for core SD-WAN functionalities.
Drive the end-to-end implementation and enhancement of SD-WAN features such as dynamic path selection, application-aware routing, traffic engineering, and network security features.
Proactively collaborate with Product Management, QA, and other engineering teams to translate product requirements into technical specifications and deliver high-quality solutions.
Serve as a technical expert and mentor for other engineers, providing architectural guidance, technical direction, and conducting thorough code reviews to empower others.
Identify and resolve complex software issues, applying deep diagnostic skills to ensure platform stability and performance.
Challenge the status quo by researching and prototyping innovative technologies and approaches to enhance our SD-WAN offerings.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent military experience.
5+ years of professional software development experience.
Extensive hands-on programming skills in C/C++, Python, or Go.
Expertise in control plane, data plane, and security features of networking platforms.
Deep understanding of standard TCP/IP protocols (e.g., ARP, IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP) and IPSec VPNs.
Proven experience with Layer 2/3 networking and routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and QoS.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with multi-core/multi-process/multi-threaded programming with strong OS concepts.
Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as VMware ESXi, OpenStack, QEMU/KVM, or Microsoft Hyper-V.
Excellent system debugging and troubleshooting skills with proficiency in tools like GDB and Wireshark.
Experience with solution scale, performance, interoperability, and failover testing of distributed systems.

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? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.