Sr. Manager, Information Security Crisis Communications

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

As Senior Manager, Crisis Communications & Security Reputation Management within InfoSec, you will serve as the strategic communications leader embedded directly in our security organization. You will own communications strategy across PSIRT (Product Security Incident Response Team), Threat Command, Incident Command, and Security Operations, ensuring that complex security narratives reach the right audiences, customers, regulators, partners, media, and the board, with precision, speed, and consistency.
 

Key Responsibilities

• Own external and executive communications strategy for all PSIRT-managed product security incidents, CVE disclosures, and security advisories, partnering closely with PSIRT, Legal, and Product Security to develop stakeholder-appropriate messaging.

• Develop and maintain communications templates, response playbooks, and escalation protocols for rapid-deployment during active security events.

• Establish and enforce SLAs for communications delivery against PSIRT disclosure timelines and customer notification requirements.

• Serve as communications lead embedded within Incident Command during active product security incidents, data disclosure events, and high-impact security scenarios.

• Translate rapidly evolving technical incident data into accurate, appropriately scoped communications for executive leadership, customers, and external stakeholders, under real-time operational pressure.

• Partner with Legal, Risk & Resilience, and Corporate Affairs to ensure coordinated response across all communications channels.

• Facilitate post-incident communications reviews and integrate learnings into governance frameworks and playbooks.

• Develop communications strategy and materials supporting Threat Command outputs, translating threat intelligence and adversary analysis into clear external narrative.

• Advise on public positioning for threat research publications, intelligence disclosures, and proactive threat briefings for government, regulatory, and industry audiences.

• Develop and maintain the InfoSec communications materials for board and C-suite briefings, ensuring that security posture, program health, and incident status are communicated with appropriate framing for executive and board audiences.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to InfoSec VP leadership on reputational dimensions of security decisions, regulatory engagement, and industry positioning.

• Design and maintain enterprise-grade crisis governance structures, escalation frameworks, and response metrics within the InfoSec communications function.

• Build executive reporting frameworks that provide real-time visibility into communications program performance, escalation response times, and stakeholder engagement outcomes.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in corporate communications, crisis communications, or public affairs, with demonstrated experience advising C-suite and board-level stakeholders through complex, high-stakes scenarios.

• Direct experience supporting security incident response, regulatory communications, or technology crisis scenarios — either embedded in a security or technology organization or advising one in a leadership capacity.

• Demonstrated ability to translate technically complex subject matter into accurate, accessible communications without loss of precision — under time pressure and with incomplete information.

• Experience establishing crisis governance frameworks, executive playbooks, and global response protocols in complex, matrixed enterprise environments.

• Strong executive presence and credibility; capable of operating as an independent advisor to VP-level and above leadership.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfort drafting materials across the full range of audiences from technical practitioners to board directors.

• Experience building and measuring enterprise communications programs, including escalation tracking, response SLAs, and stakeholder engagement metrics.

• BS or MS Degree in Engineering or Computer Science, related to computer security, application security, information security, network security, or cryptography.
   

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing external communications in regulated or policy-adjacent environments; government affairs, regulatory, or policy communications experience a strong plus.

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.

$160,000.00 - $257,500.00/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? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.