Senior principal software Engineer

Boston, Massachusetts, United States Product Engineering Ref ID: JR-019570

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!

This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters.

Job Summary

About the Role

Idira Secure Infrastructure Access (SIA) for RDP provides secure, brokered Remote Desktop access to Windows servers without exposing credentials or opening inbound network access.

We are searching for a highly motivated, visionary Senior Principal Software Engineer to join the SIA RDP team. In this role, you will be a technical cornerstone of a highly talented, cross-functional development team of developers, architects, and QA engineers operating in a fast-paced, agile environment. We are looking for an individual who demonstrates world-class professional skills, a collaborative team-player mentality, and an unwavering drive to always strive for excellence in securing critical infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

Architect & Innovate: Drive the architectural vision, complex and robust system design, and end-to-end delivery of enterprise-grade features and enhancements for the SIA RDP product, ensuring unparalleled standards of quality, scalability, and security.

Technical Leadership:Lead the implementation of highly resilient, distributed, and mission-critical software components.

Strategic Collaboration:Partner closely with architects, product management, and cross-functional stakeholders to define the technical roadmap and implement cutting-edge security solutions.

Mentorship & Culture:Mentor and coach senior engineers and team members, fostering a high-performance culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and innovation.

Qualifications

Experience: 10+ years of hands-on experience in modern C++ development (with a proven track record of delivering enterprise-level software).

System Design: Deep expertise in complex and robust system design, architectural patterns, and building low-level, high-performance infrastructure.

Mindset: A highly motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented professional with a strong sense of ownership and a passion for solving highly ambiguous problems.

Analytical Skills: Elite analytical, troubleshooting, and debugging skills in complex, multi-threaded, or distributed environments.

Communication: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities, with the knack for translating complex technical concepts for both engineering teams and executive stakeholders.

Must have knowledge

Robust experience with agentic development

Proven knowledge in AI tools

Deep knowledge of security principles (OWASP, encryption, protocols, and authentication methods such as LDAP, Radius, SAML, OIDC).

Experience with AWS or other major cloud platforms, microservices architecture, and cloud-native development.

Working experience with Python for tooling, automation, or scripting.

Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure tools (Jenkins, Git, Artifactory, Terraform).

Familiarity with Agile methodologies, JIRA, and leading Scrum practices at scale.

Qualifications

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.

/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.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes