Senior Staff Security Architect

Who you are

• 5+ years of experience in security engineering and/or security architecture
• Deep, hands-on architectural expertise in at least one major public cloud provider (GCP, AWS, Azure, OCI, or SAP) with a strong working knowledge of the others
• Demonstrated sophisticated, deep knowledge and hands-on experience with modern Secure-by-Design, Privacy-by-Design, and Zero Trust principles and practices
• Proven track record of executing complex threat models (e.g., STRIDE, PASTA, DREAD) for microservices and serverless architectures
• Proficiency with a scripting language such as Python or Go and experience securing CI/CD pipelines
• Experience securing AI/ML ecosystems, with a deep understanding of adversarial machine learning attacks and defenses for Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Deep understanding of the security vendor landscape, with experience designing or using CSPM, CWPP, or Container Security platforms
• Exceptional ability to communicate technical risk to executive audiences and negotiate architectural trade-offs with product owners
• Experience with well-architected frameworks (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their security pillars

What the job involves

• As a Principal Security Architect, you will serve as the technical authority for our multi-cloud security strategy, defining the architectural 'North Star' for our cloud-native platforms to ensure they are secure by design
• In this high-impact, 'player-coach' role, you will drive complex threat modeling, steer the architectural direction across GCP, AWS, Azure, and OCI, and partner with engineering leadership to embed security deep within our next-generation products
• Define and maintain the authoritative security architecture patterns for services across multi-cloud environments, including GCP, AWS, Azure, OCI, and SAP
• Lead the design of secure, scalable, and resilient systems by championing 'Security by Design' principles such as isolation, identity management (IAM), and data protection
• Drive the architectural strategy and implementation of Zero Trust principles across development environments and production SaaS platforms
• Own the organization's threat modeling methodology, facilitating deep-dive sessions for critical features to identify attack vectors in complex distributed systems
• Translate architectural risks into actionable items for the Cybersecurity Risk Register, effectively communicating the business impact to leadership
• Serve as a subject matter expert on security products (CWPP, CSPM, NGFW), advising product teams on architecting solutions to withstand modern adversary TTPs
• Provide high-level technical guidance and mentorship to Staff and Senior security engineers, fostering a culture of engineering excellence and proactive security
• Lead cross-functional 'Tiger Teams' through complex security implementations, acting as the bridge between Developer, Product Engineering, and InfoSec teams
• We’re not your ordinary Information Security team. We’re a diverse group of security professionals who challenge the status quo in order to protect Palo Alto Networks and our customers
• Driving innovation on the Information Security team of the fastest-growing high-tech cybersecurity company is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ll be joined by the brightest minds in technology, and our global teams are on the front line of defense against cyberattacks

Benefits

• Healthcare: We value your health and provide options so you can choose what best supports your lifestyle and personal health goals. Various nationwide plans — including Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, Delta Dental, VSP, and more — are available to you and your family. Our providers offer the flexibility you want and the coverage you need
• Wellness: With a large on-site gym and daily, instructor-led exercise classes at HQ in Santa Clara, Palo Alto Networks actively supports employee fitness. Our juice bar, Gym & Juice, features fresh juice blends, a quick and nutritious option pre- or post-workout. And our ongoing wellness speaker series highlights the latest trends in health and wellness
• Development: Professional development is serious business at Palo Alto Networks, where the Talent Development team offers 25+ courses to help employees boost their careers and develop leadership capability
• Financial: Most roles are eligible for equity grants, and we now offer new hires a quarterly vesting schedule right away. We want you to be fairly compensated and rewarded as soon as you make an impact – on our team, that happens immediately! And because we consider every employee a stakeholder in our long-term success, we offer an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with a 24-month lookback. From life insurance to health savings accounts, we provide ways to help you protect and grow your wealth. Palo Alto Networks offers both traditional and Roth 401(k) options, along with a company match of 50% to a max annual amount of $1,000
• Time Off: In addition to paid corporate holidays, Flexible Time Off programs empower our employees to balance their work schedules with personal time off. We offer 12 weeks of full pay for medical leave and 6 weeks of full pay for parental leave. As a company with strong ties to the military and veterans, we also offer 26 weeks of full pay for military leave
• Perks: Our corporate discount program provides employees with significant discounts on merchandise, travel and entertainment. We offer many on-site perks at headquarters, including cafeterias, fuel service, dry cleaning service, EV charging stations, and a company store. We also provide complimentary drinks, fresh fruit, and snacks in break rooms across our campus to help everyone power through the day.

Life at Palo Alto Network