Job Description

Company Description
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.

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.

Additional Information
The Team
Engineering - Our engineering team is at the core of our products and 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 .
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.

Skills Required