Most Loved Workplace® Certified Job

Principal Software Engineer (PAN OS)

Most Loved Workplace® Certified Job

93% of HR leaders say Employer of Choice certifications influence candidates' decision to apply (Most Loved Workplace® and CandE Benchmark Research, 2024)

Office - USA - CA - Headquarters

About the Role

At Palo Alto Networks, a Most Loved Workplace® certified employer in the Computer Software space, Protecting the digital way of life with AI-driven cybersecurity innovation.

As we rapidly accelerate our adoption of AI across the organization, we are looking for a highly skilled Senior Principal Engineer to lead our internal AI enablement and developer productivity strategy. In this high-visibility role, you will treat AI enablement as a core Developer Experience and platform challenge. You are a "0-to-1" builder who translates complex ML research and broad business requirements into secure, scalable, self-service software. By treating our internal engineers as your primary customers, you will build the strategy, infrastructure, and agentic workflows that democratize AI across Palo Alto Networks. You will champion a culture of practical application, ensuring our AI tools perform reliably in a demanding, real-world enterprise environment. This role is located at our dynamic downtown Seattle office in the office 3 days a week.

Want to learn more about what it's like to work at Palo Alto Networks? View our full profile.

Requirements

10+ years of software engineering experience designing large distributed systems, platform architecture, or enterprise-grade internal developer portals.
Software First, AI Second: You are a seasoned distributed systems/software engineer who is fluent in AI.
Expertise in at least one modern programming language such as Python (type hints, Pydantic, etc.), Go, Java, C#, or C++.
Deep, hands-on experience with foundational LLMs, vector databases, and AI orchestration frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex, AutoGen), with a strong focus on taking prototypes into stable production.
0-to-1 Builder: You are comfortable navigating ambiguous environments, defining technical strategy, and writing initial code before scaling it across a large engineering organization.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex security, compliance, and access-control challenges in cloud environments (GCP, AWS, Azure).
Exceptional communication and change-management skills; ability to influence executive leadership on ROI while serving as the approachable "go-to" AI expert for engineering teams.
BS or MS in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent professional/military experience.

Benefits

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location.
The starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned 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.

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Why This Is a Most Loved Workplace® Certified Job

87% love working here

89% trust their manager

85% would recommend

Systemic Collaboration

Since its founding, Palo Alto Networks has been a global cybersecurity leader, continually growing and delivering innovation to enable secure digital transformation and protect clients’ digital way of life—even as the pace of change is accelerating. Palo Alto Networks measures its growth not only in terms of financial success, but also by its ability to make the world safer every day. With a commitment to innovation in cybersecurity that runs deep, the people of Palo Alto Networks feel inspired to seek new opportunities, new ways to collaborate, and new ways to make a difference.

Positive Vision for the Future

Palo Alto Networks is a values-led company. Its culture is founded on mutual respect and honoring the contributions each person makes. Employees feel a sense of group ownership, and its recognition scheme is based on its values, which were crowdsourced and chosen by its people.

Alignment of Values

Nikesh Arora has led Palo Alto Networks since 2018, focusing on building close, diverse teams. Every week since the pandemic, he has hosted employee roundtables to better understand challenges, hear feedback, and remove roadblocks to help everyone execute their tasks. He deeply values different perspectives and people are always at the top of his agenda.

Respect

Palo Alto Networks puts people first, providing choices whenever possible, and recognizing that each employee is a unique individual. Its policies and benefits reflect a commitment to help with each employee’s development, motivation, and engagement, offering collaborative opportunities that result in a sense of belonging and well-being. These bold strategies enable its 13,500+ employees to enjoy some of the most satisfying work of their careers while delivering successful business results.

Killer Outcomes

Collaboration is a strong company value. Palo Alto Networks’ leadership listens closely to employees while building the culture, and aims to empower people to grow professionally, thrive personally, and create a work experience right for them. With regular communication from executive leadership, management, and peers, paired with innovative technology, employees say they feel more connected than ever before and are thriving from wherever they are.

What It's Like to Work Here

User CEO Leadership

Heart Palo Alto Networks Culture

Handshake Palo Alto Networks Respect

Sparkles Positive Vision

Target Alignment of Values

Certified for: Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces®, Women Most Loved Workplaces® 2025, Certified Most Loved Workplaces® 2025, Top Most Loved Workplaces® for LGBTQ+, Top Most Loved Workplaces® for Parents and Caregivers, Top Most Loved Workplaces® for Volunteering, Top Most Loved Workplaces® for Diversity, Most Loved Workplace® for Inclusivity 2025, Most Loved Workplace® for Young Professionals 2025, Most Loved Workplace® for Women 2025, Most Loved Workplace® for Career Advancement 2025, Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® 2025, Top Most Loved Workplaces® for CEOs, Most Loved Workplace® Certified 2025, Certified Most Loved Workplaces® 2024, Most Loved Workplace® Certified 2024, Most Loved Workplace® Certified 2023

Frequently Asked Questions About Working at Palo Alto Networks

Common questions candidates ask about this role and Palo Alto Networks's workplace

Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, is shaping the cloud-centric future with technology that is transforming the way people and organizations operate. Its mission is to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting clients' digital way of life. CEO Nikesh Arora hosts weekly employee roundtables every week since the pandemic to directly hear challenges and feedback, making executive accessibility a defining characteristic of the organization's leadership approach.

Please review the specific job listing or contact Palo Alto Networks's recruiting team for details on remote or hybrid work options for this role.

Salary information may vary by role and location. Please check the specific job listing or discuss compensation during the interview process.

Palo Alto Networks is an established organization in its industry. The company is a certified Most Loved Workplace®, highlighting a strong, positive culture and committed workforce.

For this role specifically, benefits include: The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location., The starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned 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.. You can view more details on their CertCheck profile.

The day-to-day environment is guided by core values such as CEO Leadership and Company Culture and Company Respect.

The company has committed to inclusive practices including: Champion Systemic Collaboration and Cultivate a Positive Vision for the Future.

Palo Alto Networks has an employee workplace love score of 87%. They score particularly well in the area of Systemic Collaboration. They have earned Most Loved Workplace® certifications including: Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces® and Women Most Loved Workplaces® 2025.

Palo Alto Networks currently has 9 open positions. You can view all current openings at certcheck.mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/palo-alto-networks/jobs.

A helpful tip for interviewing here: Research Palo Alto Networks' prevention-first platform security approach and AI-driven capabilities before your interview. Be prepared to discuss how your background aligns with protecting organizations across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments..