Senior Staff QA Engineer, NGFW (NetSec)

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.

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 Palo Alto Networks Next-Gen Firewall Cloud Security team is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer with expertise in Public and Private Cloud Security testing and automation. You will take on a technical leadership role within a world-class QA engineering team to build, automate, and run functional testing scenarios for groundbreaking cloud security products. By collaborating with development and product management, you will drive product efficiency, reliability, and design future software directions. You will ensure the highest quality experience for our end users by hunting for code vulnerabilities and integrating AI-powered testing methodologies.

Ensure product quality in a fast-evolving environment where AI powers both the products and development processes. Participate in the full QA product lifecycle, including scoping, test case creation, feature regression, and automation. Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Management, Software, and Quality Engineering teams to deliver high-quality cloud security products. Lead functional testing for next-generation VM/CN firewalls and Cloud NGFW across various cloud providers. Drive automation initiatives across cross-functional teams to achieve technical and operational excellence in every release. Develop advanced tools and infrastructure to improve the overall quality and efficiency of the testing process. Work closely with customer support and field teams to implement test cases that improve end-customer deployment outcomes. Combine creative problem-solving with a focused testing approach to produce top-tier cybersecurity products.

Required Qualifications MS/CS or BS/CS degree in the Networking Security industry, or equivalent military or industry experience. Minimum of 5+ years of related experience in software QA engineering or testing. Deep understanding of testing methodologies and proven experience with functional testing. Strong experience working with Layer 4 to Layer 7 technologies and networking protocols. Proficient with Python scripting, including the ability to run and debug existing scripts. Good written and verbal communication skills. Experience building AI solutions and Agentic tools with a focus on an AI-first approach. Experience testing Firewall or Network Security appliances. Experience with Layer 2 to Layer 3 technologies is highly advantageous. Domain knowledge and experience with cloud-based deployments, preferably AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI. Experience with QA test or automation teams involved with Cloud or Network security and Rest APIs. Experience with Linux and open-source tools.

Knowledge of commercial test tools such as Keysight Cyperf, Spirent Avalanche, IX