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Palo Alto Networks

Principal Software Engineer (Machine Learning)

Palo Alto Networks

Published 25 Mar 2026
Santa Clara, CA, USA
157K - 254K USD Annual
Full Time

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Role Highlights

Languages used

Key skills

Computer Science
Integrations
API
QA
Code Reviews
Distributed Systems
Relational Database
Technical Leadership
Cloud Security
Data Security
AI
Machine Learning
Architecture
Infrastructure
Backend
Testing
Deployment
Research
Microservices
Optimization
Agile
Automation
NOSQL
SAAS

Tools, Libraries and Frameworks

Rest
Spring Boot
J2EE
GCP
AWS
Kubernetes
Docker
JSON
MongoDB
Redis
Kafka
Azure
Java Spring

Description

\\\\Our Mission\\\\ At Palo Alto Networks®, were united by a shared missionto 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 youre ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, youre 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. Thats why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when its needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes. \\\\Job Summary\\\\ We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer (ML) to drive the development, architecture, and scaling of our cutting-edge, cloud-based Data Security Platform. This infrastructure operates at a massive scale, protecting customers from evolving online threats and attacks. We are looking for a passionate individual contributor who can bring strong software engineering expertise and technical leadership to our team. You should be driven to solve complex problems and eager to expand your skill set. \\\\Key Responsibilities\\\\ \\+ \\\\End-to-End Backend Development:\\\\ Own the complete lifecycle of features and components, including design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance \\+ \\\\Cross-Functional Collaboration:\\\\ Proactively work with peers across teams to shape solutions, ensure product integration alignment, and exchange information. \\+ \\\\Technical Leadership & Quality Assurance:\\\\ Contribute to and drive team-wide efforts, including code reviews, design reviews, and architectural decisions, ensuring high-quality and maintainable code. \\+ \\\\Production Stability & Mitigation:\\\\ Apply a production-oriented approach by providing real-time mitigation and effective solutions to production issues for platform stability. \\+ \\\\Independent Feature Delivery & Domain Expertise (Data Security):\\\\ As a principal engineer, independently drive and collaborate on high-impact feature delivery, specifically within the Data Security domain. \\+ \\\\Continuous Improvement & Innovation:\\\\ Curiously explore new technologies and methodologies to enhance backend services and AI capabilities. \\\\Principal Software Engineers:\\\\ \\+ Take full ownership of specific feature segments, demonstrating accountability for quality and timely delivery from conception to release. \\+ Proactively collaborate and exchange information with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of product features and infrastructure. \\+ Drive innovation by contributing ideas and participating in brainstorming sessions to challenge the approach and enhance product capabilities. \\+ Simplify complex technical problems and focus on details to deliver high-quality, robust, and performant solutions. \\+ Actively share knowledge and mentor other engineers, contributing to a positive and collaborative team dynamic that empowers others. \\+ Continuously seek opportunities for improvement within team processes and the product itself by applying learnings and challenging the status quo curiously and positively. \\+ Serve as a technical expert who helps accelerate the adoption of the very best engineering practices, while staying current on industry innovations, trends, and practices. \\+ Deliver on critical business needs and be recognized across the company as a go-to engineering resource on given domains. \\+ Work willingly with others towards common goals, understanding the responsibilities, activities, and ways to foster relationships. \\+ Act as a role model and mentor who exemplifies the best of the Palo Alto Networks culture. \\+ Deeply understand customers' needs by doing the research to develop insight into their needs and desires, with a consistent focus on usability and scalability. \\\\Qualifications\\\\ \\\\Required Qualifications:\\\\ \\+ \\\\BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering with a minimum of 10 years of equivalent experience.\\\\ \\+ \\\\Technical Expertise (Backend and Cloud):\\\\ \\+ Extensive experience in backend development using Java, Spring Boot, and J2EE. \\+ Solid hands-on experience with cloud-native platforms such as GCP or AWS, Kubernetes, and Docker. \\+ \\\\System Architecture and Performance:\\\\ \\+ Proven expertise and knowledge in microservices, distributed systems, and performance optimization. \\+ Demonstrated success in architecting and designing robust solutions for high-transaction, high-data-volume enterprise or consumer-facing applications. \\+ \\\\Development Practices:\\\\ \\+ Proficient in the Agile development process and a strong proponent of Agile methodologies. \\+ A firm commitment to automation testing, consistently striving for high code coverage. \\+ Possesses a proactive, results-oriented approach (can-do attitude) toward problem-solving, quality assurance, and execution. \\\\Preferred Qualifications\\\\ \\+ Strong experience in building Cloud Security products. \\+ Proficiency in developing REST APIs, coupled with expertise in JSON. \\+ Hands-on experience with both NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB) and Relational Databases. \\+ In-depth experience with technologies such as Redis, and Kafka. \\+ Solid experience with modern containerization and cloud technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes. \\+ Experience in major cloud platforms: AWS, GCP, and Azure. \\+ Proven ability to mentor junior team members within a high-performing environment. \\+ Highly Desirable: Experience building products that incorporate ML/AI techniques. \\+ Significant Plus: Experience with CASB or general SaaS application development. \\+ Significant Plus: Background in the data security domain. \\\\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 () . $157,200.00 - $254,100.00/yr \\\\Our Commitment\\\\ Were trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecuritys status quo. Its simple: we cant 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 . 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.

Required Qualifications and Skills

Candidates are required to have a BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering with a minimum of 10 years of equivalent experience. Essential technical expertise includes extensive backend development using Java, Spring Boot, and J2EE, along with solid hands-on experience with cloud-native platforms like GCP or AWS, Kubernetes, and Docker. Proven expertise in microservices, distributed systems, and performance optimization is necessary, as is demonstrated success in architecting robust solutions for high-transaction, high-data-volume applications. A strong proficiency in the Agile development process and a commitment to automation testing are also required.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Job and company description information and some of the data fields may have been generated via GPT-4 summarisation and could contain inaccuracies. The full external job listing link should always be relied on for authoritative information.

About the company

Palo Alto Networks

Size

14705

Founded

HQ

SANTA CLARA, US

Public/Private

Public Company

Description

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.

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