Email Security Research Manager (Cortex - XDR)

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 As an innovator at heart, you will lead the Email Security Research team and shape the future of AI-driven email protection. You will define the technical vision, drive the research roadmap, and lead a team developing advanced detection capabilities. Working closely with Engineering, Product, Threat Intelligence, and AI teams, you will build cutting-edge security solutions that protect customers against evolving email threats while fostering innovation and technical excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Email Security researchers and analysts.
• Define and execute the Email Security research, detection, and analytics roadmap.
• Drive innovation in AI and LLM-powered email security.
• Lead the design of advanced detections for phishing, Business Email Compromise (BEC), malware, account takeover, and emerging email threats.
• Improve detection efficacy through behavioral analytics, threat research, and large-scale data analysis.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Threat Intelligence, and cross-functional teams to deliver scalable security capabilities.
• Promote technical excellence through design reviews, coaching, and knowledge sharing.
• Represent the team internally and externally through technical presentations, blogs, white papers, and industry conferences.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Qualifications Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in cybersecurity research, including 1+ years leading technical teams.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing high-performing security researchers.
• Hands-on coding experience (e.g., Python).
• Experience with SQL or similar query languages for large-scale data analysis.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI, machine learning, or LLM-based security solutions.
• Experience with big data platforms (e.g., GCP/BigQuery).
• Experience with XDR, EDR, NDR, or CDR products.
• Experience in email security research, detection engineering, or behavioral analytics.

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.