Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer Hyderabad, Telangana, India Product Engineering Ref ID: JR-018256
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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

Job Summary

Palo Alto Networks is on a mission to keep the digital world safe. We are looking for visionary builders and aspiring leaders to join our Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) Platform team. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be at the forefront of our modernization initiatives, architecting the next generation of our infrastructure while setting the technical standards. This is a unique opportunity for a seasoned technologist who brings both deep architectural expertise and a background in leadership. You will not only design scalable, secure software systems but also mentor engineers and champion the adoption of AI-assisted development paradigms.

Key Responsibilities

• Architectural Leadership: Lead design discussions, write comprehensive Design Docs, define APIs and service contracts, and resolve complex integration trade-offs so our systems work together reliably at scale.
• Drive Measurable Results: Take ownership of vague goals or ambiguous problem spaces (e.g., reducing latency, improving defect escape rates) and translate them into concrete execution plans with measurable, end-to-end outcomes.
• Modernization & AI Adoption: Champion the use of AI tools and spec-driven development methodologies to accelerate engineering velocity. Leverage your familiarity with the AI Life Cycle Development (AILDC) process to integrate context and improve system intelligence.
• Engineering Excellence: Define libraries, scaffolding, and testing strategies that reduce boilerplate and ensure quality. Lead incident response, drive root cause analysis (RCA), and implement durable fixes that systematically reduce MTTR.
• Customer-Centric Execution: Use data to advocate for ROI in architectural choices. Anticipate unstated customer needs and build solutions that directly address them, pushing back on low-value work to maintain focus.
• Technical Strategy & Influence: Align the technical roadmap ensuring the platform remains resilient, performant, and future-proof.
• Mentorship & Cultural Stewardship: Act as a 'Multiplier.' You will mentor senior and staff engineers, fostering an environment of high psychological safety and radical candor.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, with a significant portion dedicated to designing and operating large-scale distributed systems in a cloud-native environment.
• Extensive experience operating at a Principal level (or equivalent), with a track record of owning cross-service architecture and delivering high-impact features from inception to production.
• Hands-on experience using AI-assisted development tools. Familiarity with spec-driven development practices and at least a foundational understanding of the AILDC (AI Life Cycle Development) framework.
• Advanced proficiency in Node.js and Angular.
• Deep expertise in building highly available, distributed systems. Strong focus on details, including defensive coding, threat modeling, and implementing robust automation and testing strategies.
• Ability to articulate complex technical trade-offs clearly to stakeholders and translate overarching product vision into actionable technical tasks for the team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Solid experience in Python.
• Previous experience as a manager, demonstrating strong capabilities in team development, project planning, and cross-functional communication.

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.
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Current Employees, apply here