Software Backend Engineering Manager - AI (Cortex XSIAM)

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

Your career:
Palo Alto Networks is seeking a highly technical, hands-on Software Engineering Team Lead for our Cortex XSIAM group. You will manage a high-performing team of 3 senior and principal engineers to build a complex, long-term AI agent project. This role requires a highly adaptable "orchestrator" - someone who can seamlessly drive cross-platform architecture, collaborate with multiple Product Managers and infrastructure teams, and remain deeply hands-on with the codebase.

Your Impact:

• Lead & Code: Manage a senior team while remaining heavily involved in writing, reviewing, and optimizing complex backend code.

• Architectural Leadership: Drive high-level design and cross-platform architecture across multiple repositories and products.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as a central focal point, aligning with various PMs and infrastructure teams to shape and deliver AI-driven solutions.

• End-to-End Ownership: Own the full development lifecycle, from system design to production stability and real-time issue mitigation.

Qualifications

Your Experience:

• Management: 2-3 years of proven experience managing software backend engineering teams.

• AI Domain: Strong orientation to AI with practical experience in RAG architectures (e.g., RAG Harness).

• Senior Technical Background: Proven experience in highly senior individual contributor roles (e.g., Principal or Staff Engineer).

• Technical Expertise: Strong backend background with deep knowledge of Cloud technologies, Databases, and complex system design.

• Core Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, high adaptability, and rapid learning capabilities.

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.