Palo Alto Networks · 4 hours ago
Principal Automation Engineer
Santa Clara, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff
$167K/yr - $270K/yr
15+ years expPalo Alto Networks is a leading cybersecurity company dedicated to protecting the digital way of life through innovation and technology. They are seeking a Principal Automation Engineer to drive their AI-First quality strategy, focusing on architecting and implementing advanced test automation frameworks while mentoring other engineers in quality engineering best practices.
Agentic AICloud SecurityCyber SecurityNetwork SecuritySecurity
No H1B
Responsibilities
Design and implement a visionary test automation strategy that leverages AI/ML for intelligent test case generation, predictive quality analytics, and self-healing automation frameworks
Lead the development of robust, scalable, and maintainable test automation frameworks from the ground up using languages like Python or Java
Utilize generative AI and other AI-powered tools for efficient test code generation, synthetic data creation, and anomaly detection within our applications and CI/CD pipelines
Act as the foremost technical authority in quality engineering
Mentor and guide other engineers on best practices in software testing, automation, and the application of AI in QE
Champion and integrate an 'AI-First' mindset throughout the software development lifecycle, influencing how we build, test, and release software
Partner closely with Software Development, DevOps, and Product Management teams to embed quality into the development process and ensure the delivery of high-quality, reliable products
Research, evaluate, and implement cutting-edge tools and technologies in test automation and AI to continuously enhance testing efficiency and effectiveness
Qualification
Required
15+ years of hands-on experience in Quality Engineering or Software Development in Test (SDET)
Expert-level programming skills in Python, Java, or a similar object-oriented language
Proven, demonstrable experience in designing, building, and maintaining complex test automation frameworks from scratch (e.g., using Pytest, Selenium, Playwright, REST Assured)
Strong practical knowledge and experience applying AI/ML concepts and tools to software quality challenges
Hands-on experience with generative AI for code/test generation
Experience with AI-powered copilot tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Amp) for script generation and development productivity
Deep expertise with CI/CD pipelines, version control systems (Git), and modern DevOps practices
Experience testing complex, distributed systems and microservices architectures
Excellent analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills with an ability to think strategically about quality and technical challenges
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent military experience required
Preferred
A Master's degree is a plus
Benefits
Restricted stock units
Bonus
Company
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is a cybersecurity company that offers cybersecurity solutions for organizations.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$65MKey Investors
Icon VenturesLehman HoldingsGlobespan Capital Partners
2012-07-20IPO
2008-11-03Series C· $10M
2008-08-18Series C· $27M
Leadership Team
Helmut Reisinger
CEO EMEA
Nikesh Arora
Chairman CEO
Recent News
2026-01-22
The Motley Fool
2026-01-22
Company data provided by crunchbase