Security Researcher Manager - Cloud & Kubernetes (Cortex)

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

If you are an innovator at heart and passionate about redefining how organizations secure modern environments end-to-end, we're looking for you.
We're looking for a Manager to lead a security research team for detection and response across cloud environments.
This is an opportunity to lead an exceptional group of researchers working on a startup-level product within the largest security company, helping revolutionize how organizations protect their Kubernetes and hybrid cloud environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a team of security researchers conducting research on attacks against cloud data , Kubernetes and containers.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of talented security researchers focused on defending organizations as they transition from on-premises data centers to modern cloud and Kubernetes infrastructure.
• Drive the strategy and execution of research initiatives to uncover novel techniques for detecting and responding to sophisticated attacks targeting hybrid and cloud-native environments.
• Define and prioritize detection use cases, relevant datasets, and innovative analytic approaches combining runtime visibility and posture management across diverse platforms.
• Stay up to date with the latest attacker methodologies, APT campaigns, and TTPs to ensure our detection capabilities stay ahead of evolving threats in both legacy and cloud contexts.
• Oversee simulation of real-world attacks and deep behavioral analysis to inform and validate detection content.
• Foster collaboration across engineering, product management, and go-to-market teams to deliver impactful security solutions.
• Represent the team and share insights with the security community through blogs, conference talks, and publications.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years in a leadership or management role, including mentoring researchers and setting research strategy.
• 5+ years in security research with a proven track record of driving impactful projects.
• Deep expertise in cloud-native security, with strong focus on Kubernetes, containers, and major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI).
• Experience developing or working with detection and response products, such as XDR, EDR, or cloud workload protection platforms.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex research findings and drive alignment across diverse teams.
• Proficient in hands-on coding and scripting (e.g., Python).
• Experience working with large-scale data pipelines and analytics (e.g., GCP BigQuery, Dataflow).

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Kubernetes threat modeling frameworks (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK for Containers).

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.