Principal Professional Services Consultant - Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

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.

We are seeking a highly strategic and technical Principal Consultant to lead the architecture, engineering, and deployment of enterprise-grade Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) solutions. In this senior-level role, you will act as a trusted advisor to C-level executives and enterprise architects, guiding them through complex network security transformations and Zero Trust network designs. You will handle the most critical technical escalations, spearhead massive infrastructure migrations, and provide mentorship to a team of security engineers.

Architecture & Strategic Design Design comprehensive High-Level (HLD) and Low-Level (LLD) architectures for global firewall deployments across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP). Lead technical workshops with enterprise clients to align business requirements with robust, scalable, and secure network architectures. Architect and standardize Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) frameworks, micro-segmentation strategies, and advanced threat protection models. Implementation & Advanced Migrations Oversee the end-to-end deployment of massive-scale NGFW clusters, Panorama management systems, and GlobalProtect infrastructure. Spearhead complex, multi-vendor firewall migrations (e.g., transitioning from Cisco ASA/Firepower, Check Point, or Fortinet to Palo Alto Networks) using advanced scripting and migration tools. Develop automated workflows for firewall provisioning, policy management, and log analysis utilizing Python, REST APIs, and Ansible. Technical Escalation & Team Leadership Serve as the ultimate escalation point for complex P1/P2 deployment issues, performing deep packet inspection and advanced routing (BGP, OSPF) troubleshooting. Mentor senior and junior consultants, establishing best practices, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and deployment templates.

Qualifications & Skills 12+ years of progressive experience in enterprise network security architecture and engineering. Expert-level knowledge of Palo Alto Networks NGFW, Panorama, App-ID, User-ID, SSL Decryption, and Threat Prevention configurations. Extensive experience with public cloud networking and securing multi-cloud perimeters. Strong proficiency in dynamic routing protocols, TCP/IP fundamentals, and packet-level analysis. Preferred Certifications: PCNSE (Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer) is required; PCNSC (Certified Network Security Consultant) or PCSAE is highly desired. 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