Full-Time

Principal AI Engineer

Enterprise AI Solutions

Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks

10,001+ employees

Firewall and cloud security provider

Compensation Overview

$185.2k - $299.5k/yr

+ Bonus + Restricted Stock Units

H1B Sponsorship Available

California, USA

In Person

On-site at headquarters in California; remote/hybrid not specified.

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD

Category
AI & Machine Learning (1)
Required Skills
LLM
MLOps
Python
TensorFlow
PyTorch
Java
RAG
Go

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Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent military experience required.
  • 12+ years of related experience, or a Master's degree with 8 years of experience, or a PhD with 5 years of experience.
  • Proven expertise in designing and building complex, enterprise-grade AI/ML platforms and applications.
  • Direct hands-on experience with Generative AI technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and agentic AI systems.
  • Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, Java, or Go and proficiency in modern AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
  • Extensive hands-on experience with distributed systems architecture, streaming data platforms, and cloud AI/ML platforms (e.g., GCP Vertex AI, AWS SageMaker).
Responsibilities
  • Lead the applied AI solution design and architecture, breaking down ambiguous business problems into concrete, actionable AI solution designs.
  • Drive the hands-on development and implementation of key AI components, supporting both traditional and Generative AI model development and deployment.
  • Contribute significantly to the detailed design of large-scale, distributed AI/ML systems, ensuring performance, reliability, and security.
  • Proactively collaborate with executive leadership, data science, engineering, and product stakeholders to translate business use-cases into scalable AI solutions.
  • Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other AI/ML engineers, fostering a culture of engineering excellence and hands-on experimentation.
  • Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of MLOps pipelines, including automated model training, versioning, deployment, and monitoring.
  • Champion and enforce design standards, patterns, and best practices for scalable and secure development of AI applications across various teams.
  • Actively research and evaluate cutting-edge AI/ML techniques, algorithms, and models to identify opportunities for platform enhancement and new solution development.
Desired Qualifications
  • Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related technical field.
  • Experience contributing to open-source AI projects or publications in top-tier AI conferences.
  • Prior experience in a technical consulting or solutions architecture role, bridging technical teams and senior business stakeholders.
  • Deep understanding of cybersecurity principles as they apply to AI systems.

Palo Alto Networks provides hardware, software, and subscription-based security solutions to protect organizations from cyber threats. Its products include network firewalls (Strata), cloud security (Prisma Cloud), and AI-powered security operations (Cortex), which work together to secure on-premises and cloud environments, manage identity and access, and detect threats. The company differentiates itself by offering an integrated, end-to-end security stack that combines hardware, software licenses, and ongoing services across enterprises, SMBs, and government clients. Its goal is to deliver comprehensive protection for networks, data, and applications as organizations move between data centers and cloud environments.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Santa Clara, California

Founded

2015

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • June 2026 revenue reached $3.0 billion, up 31%, showing strong enterprise demand.
  • Next-generation security ARR hit $8.1 billion, up 60%, driven by AI and firewall upgrades.
  • China review started August 6, 2026, and validates PANW's strategic importance.

What critics are saying

  • China's August 6, 2026 review can block government purchases and pressure Asia-Pacific revenue.
  • CyberArk and Chronosphere added billions of goodwill and integration risk after February and January 2026.
  • A severe China ban would remove a strategic market and weaken global trust.

What makes Palo Alto Networks unique

  • August 2026: PANW spans firewalls, identity, observability, and AI security on one platform.
  • Chronosphere closed January 29, 2026; Embrace adds real-user monitoring to observability.
  • June 2026: PANW led Gartner observability again, reinforcing cross-sell across security teams.

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Benefits

FLEXBenefits

Healthcare

Wellness

Development

Financial: Traditional & Roth 401(k) options

Time Off

Other Perks

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

3%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

-1%
Associated Press
Aug 20th, 2026
Zero Networks expands Palo Alto integration for zero-touch containment and AI security

Zero Networks has expanded its integration with Palo Alto Networks to include zero-touch containment and AI security capabilities. The enhanced partnership builds on their existing automated microsegmentation solution by enabling threat identification and containment at the asset level, with selected traffic redirected to Palo Alto Networks security services for inspection. The integration now surfaces Zero Networks-managed assets and policies through Strata Cloud Manager, providing unified visibility. It combines Zero Networks AI Segmentation with Prisma AIRS to govern AI agents and inspect AI traffic. Traffic redirection is currently available for Linux environments, with Windows support planned. The joint solution allows organisations to contain compromised assets automatically using identity-based microsegmentation whilst managing enforcement through existing infrastructure without network redesign.

PR Newswire
Aug 19th, 2026
Palo Alto Networks launches Frontier AI Critical Defense Program to protect infrastructure from AI-driven exploits

Palo Alto Networks has launched the Frontier AI Critical Defense Program to protect critical infrastructure from AI-driven cyber exploits. The initiative enables technology providers to deploy network-level "virtual patches" that neutralise vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. The company recently used frontier AI models to discover more than 14,000 previously unknown vulnerabilities in open source software. However, critical infrastructure operators cannot patch systems at AI speed due to uptime and safety requirements, creating an exposure gap. The programme expands existing collaborations with IBM, Red Hat, Microsoft, and Siemens to include Anthropic, OpenAI, Mitsubishi, Axis Communications, and the Linux Foundation's Akrites initiative. The virtual patching system combines AI threat discovery with vulnerability intelligence to deliver rapid network-level protection whilst safeguarding sensitive details from attackers.

Ticker Report
Aug 18th, 2026
Perigon Wealth Management LLC Makes New $6.84 Million Investment in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW

Perigon Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 20,065 shares of the network technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,843,000. […]

Yahoo Finance
Aug 11th, 2026
Palo Alto Networks stock surges 142% as AI-driven cyber threats fuel firewall demand and $3.35B Chronosphere deal

Palo Alto Networks' stock has surged 142% over six months to $385.04, but the catalysts were visible in company reports well before the market reacted. The cybersecurity firm disclosed in May 2025 that its researchers simulated a complete ransomware attack in under 25 minutes using AI, signalling a shift in threat landscape. Management responded by acquiring observability platform Chronosphere for $3.35 billion in January 2026 and raising its fiscal 2030 next-generation security ARR target to $20 billion from $15 billion. The thesis materialised in June 2026 results: next-generation security ARR grew 28% year-over-year, whilst next-generation firewall bookings jumped nearly 40%. Hardware delivered its strongest quarter in a decade on fifth-generation appliances and AI data centre deployments, exceeding management's earlier mid-single-digit growth expectations for fiscal 2026.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 9th, 2026
Palo Alto Networks triples to nearly $300B market value in 12 months on AI security demand

Palo Alto Networks' market value has surged from $113 billion a year ago to nearly $295 billion, a gain of more than 150%. The cybersecurity company acquired identity-security firm CyberArk and observability company Chronosphere, whilst management reports accelerating bookings from customers securing AI deployments. Revenue grew 31% year over year to $3.0 billion in the fiscal third quarter ended 30 April, though $388 million came from acquisitions. Organic revenue growth was approximately 14%. Next-generation security annual recurring revenue reached $8.1 billion, up 60% year over year, with acquisitions contributing $1.6 billion. Excluding acquisitions, growth was 28%. Adjusted earnings per share rose 6% to $0.85, whilst under GAAP accounting the company posted a $177 million quarterly loss. Management maintains guidance for 24% revenue growth in fiscal 2026 and a 40% adjusted free cash flow margin by fiscal 2028.