Principal Software Automation/Test 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 The Team Engineering - Our engineering team is at the core of our products – and our mission. We are constantly looking for new ways to solve real-world problems, and we aren’t afraid to try new things. Our engineering team is core to our innovation and success, and you will be a part of a team that is changing the future of cybersecurity. We’re a team of builders, breakers, and problem solvers. We’re a friendly, collaborative, and incredibly talented team that is looking to expand. If you’re looking to be a part of a team that is changing the future of cybersecurity, you’ve found it. Job Summary As a Principal SQA Engineer on the SASE SD-WAN team, you will leverage your expertise in core networking and security to validate groundbreaking technologies. You will join a world-class, multi-functional software engineering team dedicated to solving complex problems and ensuring the quality of our industry-leading solutions. This role is pivotal in contributing to all phases of product and solution validation in a fast-paced environment, directly impacting our ability to protect our digital way of life. Key Responsibilities Deliver impactful results by working within a small, fast-paced team to solve critical customer problems related to SD-WAN technologies. Contribute to all phases of end-to-end product and solution validation, ensuring comprehensive quality assurance from design to deployment. Proactively collaborate and exchange information with development and QA groups to achieve the highest product quality and ensure alignment on shared objectives. Challenge the status quo by suggesting and implementing innovative improvements to the QA process, automation frameworks, and test methodologies. Partner with DevOps and Technical Support teams to efficiently troubleshoot, debug, and resolve complex customer-reported issues. Lead, mentor, and coach junior team members, empowering them and fostering a culture of technical excellence and accountability. Qualifications Required Qualifications Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field, or equivalent military experience. 8 years of experience in software quality assurance or a related engineering role. Expertise with standard TCP/IP protocols (e.g., ARP, IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, IPSec VPNs). Demonstrated expertise in testing enterprise routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP. Strong proficiency in automation and programming using Python and REST APIs. Deep understanding of control plane and data plane architecture in networking devices. Preferred Qualifications Experience with networking features like Multicast, IPv6, DNS, NAT, and DHCP. Experience in system and scale testing, simulating large enterprise network environments. Familiarity with virtualizat ... (truncated, view full listing at source)