Principal (Senior Director) Engineering Transformation- NetSec

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

We are looking for a Senior Director to serve as a strategic partner and force multiplier for the SVP of Engineering who leads a ~3,000-person global engineering organization. This is a high-impact operating position that combines a deep operational mindset, strategic thinking and fluency in how large-scale software engineering organizations ship, scale, and transform. You will drive cross-cutting initiatives, translate executive intent into structured execution, and bring analytical horsepower and program discipline to the most consequential priorities across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the engineering leadership operating rhythm: quarterly planning, OKR calibration, business reviews, and leadership offsites.

• Translate the engineering leader's vision into structured workstreams with clear owners, milestones, and accountability mechanisms.

• Drive cross-functional initiatives that span multiple VP-led pillars e.g., AI transformation, developer productivity, platform consolidation, or organizational redesign.

• Build and maintain the executive-level narrative: EVP/CPO/CEO updates and team-facing engineering content.

• Design and run operating cadences (staff meetings, skip-levels, functional reviews) that maximize signal and minimize ceremony.

• Identify organizational bottlenecks, misaligned incentives, and execution gaps; propose and drive structural remedies.

• Lead headcount planning, resource allocation, and capacity modeling across the engineering portfolio.

• Partner with HR/People on talent strategy, performance calibration, and leadership development programming.

• Perform rigorous analyses (build vs. buy, org benchmarking, investment prioritization, cost modeling) to inform executive decisions.

• Act as a trusted proxy to attend meetings, synthesize information, unblock decisions, and drive follow-through on behalf of the engineering leader.

• Lead high-priority special projects end-to-end: M&A integration workstreams, new-product-line stand-up, engineering culture initiatives, or AI/ML adoption programs.

• Serve as a connective layer between engineering and peer functions (Product, People, Finance, Legal, Infosec) to ensure alignment on shared goals.

• Draft, edit, and quality-control executive communications including internal memos, all-hands talking points, strategy documents, and change-management messaging.

• Manage the flow of information to and from the engineering leader, ensuring the right issues surface at the right altitude.

• Build trusted relationships across the VP and Director cohort; operate as a credible, apolitical partner to senior leaders.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 15 years of experience or Master's degree with 12 years of experience or PhD with 8 years of experience.

• At least 4-6 years of professional experience at a top-tier management consulting firm (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, or equivalent).

• Demonstrated ability to structure ambiguous problems, build frameworks, and drive rigorous analysis under time pressure.

• Experience working in or closely with large-scale engineering or technology organizations (software, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, or AI/ML preferred).

• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to facilitate working sessions and distill a 50-page analysis into two slides.

• Strong program and project management instincts with a natural ability to create structure, track accountability, and close loops.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior Chief of Staff, business operations, or strategy & operations role in a technology company.

• Familiarity with engineering metrics and practices: SDLC, CI/CD, platform engineering, developer experience, AI transformation of engineering workflows.

• Comfort with data tools for self-serve analysis.

• Experience with AI/ML strategy, transformation programs, or emerging-technology adoption at enterprise scale.

• Track record of influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.

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. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

$260,400.00 - $357,375.00/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.

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?: Yes