Revolutionizing protection.

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

Your Career You will be part of the team that builds and delivers the threat detection capabilities powering Palo Alto Networks’ Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP). The ATP detection team is responsible for decoding network protocols, identifying applications, and detecting threats across our enterprise customers’ networks. As a Principal Security Researcher, you will play a key leadership role in shaping detection methodologies and driving multiple projects in parallel. You will not only propose innovative ideas and deliver them into production, but also mentor and guide other researchers, ensuring the team continues to raise the bar. This is a unique opportunity to influence Palo Alto Networks’ detection strategy at scale, while making a measurable impact on protecting enterprises worldwide from advanced threats. Your Impact Propose innovative detection ideas and lead the design and delivery of 2–3 major projects simultaneously. Mentor and guide 2–3 junior or mid-level researchers, providing both technical direction and career development support. Drive advanced research into vulnerabilities, Zero-Day exploits, and emerging attack vectors, and translate findings into effective IPS and ML-based detections. Ensure rapid response to Zero-Day vulnerabilities with IPS protections released to customers within 24 hours. Reverse engineering efforts to uncover new vulnerabilities and build proactive defenses. Define detection methodologies for complex or emerging attack vectors, ensuring scalability and robustness across products. Partner with product, QA, and cross-functional engineering teams to align detection strategy with product roadmap and customer needs. Represent the team in technical discussions internally and externally, helping shape industry direction in threat prevention.

Qualifications

Your Experience Strong leadership and communication skills with proven ability to mentor and guide other researchers. Deep technical expertise in exploit techniques such as buffer overflows, use-after-free, format string, XSS, SQL injection, CSRF, MITM, and DoS. Extensive knowledge of core network protocols including HTTP, UDP, FTP, SMTP, DNS, and SMB. Proficiency in analyzing network traffic using tcpdump, Wireshark, or equivalent tools. Experience applying AI/ML to security problems is highly desirable. Advanced proficiency in Windows and Linux development environments. Strong programming skills in scripting and system-level languages (Python, Bash, Perl, C/C++). Hands-on experience with penetration testing tools (Metasploit, Burp Suite, Nmap) and debugging tools (WinDbg, OllyDbg, GDB) is a strong plus. BS/MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field, or equivalent professional/military experience. Demonstrated track record of successfully leading multiple projects end-to-end with measurable impact. Publications or presentations at top security conferences (e.g., Black Hat, DEF CON) are a strong plus. Ability to influence detection strategy within the team and across related groups.

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.

$162,700.00 - $263,175.00/yr

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  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.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes