Principal Technical Support Engineer

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 Job Summary As a Principal Technical Support Engineer, you will play a vital role in ensuring ultimate customer success by providing world-class, proactive support. You will act as the highest level of technical authority, driving permanent resolutions for complex architectural issues and shaping the future of cybersecurity support. This role is critical to our mission of being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life by challenging and disrupting the status quo. Key Responsibilities Act as the highest level of technical authority, engaging in peer-to-peer conversations with Engineering and customers to drive permanent resolutions for complex architectural issues. Drive AI-led workflow improvements and automation strategies across the global support organization to achieve measurable outcomes in case avoidance, deflection, and time-to-resolution. Influence the product development lifecycle by championing serviceability and scalability, collaborating with Product Management and Engineering to embed support requirements into the design phase. Develop and deliver advanced training programs, technical deep dives, and enablement content for TAC engineers, ensuring the global team's readiness for complex Cloud and SASE architectures. Systematically analyze root causes of recurring, high-impact issues and collaborate with Engineering to implement permanent product fixes and process improvements. Proactively collaborate and exchange information with product and engineering teams to ensure alignment and accomplish shared objectives for product supportability. Simplify complex technical problems for both internal teams and customers, focusing on the details to deliver clear and actionable solutions. Qualifications Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience. 10+ years of progressive experience in technical support, engineering, or a related role within the networking and security industry. Deep expertise in TCP/IP, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), complex LAN/WAN architectures, and network security concepts (Firewalls, VPNs, PKI). Extensive, hands-on background in SASE and SD-WAN technologies. Significant experience with solutions deployed across major public clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP) and private cloud environments. Preferred Qualifications Proven track record of leading and implementing successful, high-impact technical projects. Experience developing technical support strategy and mentoring senior technical staff. Demonstrated experience applying AI/ML concepts to operational workflows and expertise with scripting languages like Python for automation. Exceptional communication skills with a proven ability to influence product direction by collaborating effec ... (truncated, view full listing at source)