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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Director, Software Engineering (Cortex Platform) - **Company:** Palo Alto Networks - **Location:** Santa Clara, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $232,000.0 - $320,750.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, ARM Architecture, Microsoft Azure, Big Data, BigQuery, Software Quality, Cyber Security, Databases, Data Stores, Data Warehousing, Distributed Data Store, Distributed Systems, Elasticsearch, Python (Programming Language), NoSQL, Redis, Security Information and Event Management, Software Engineering, Large Language Models, Snowflake, Generative AI, Containerization, Kubernetes, Information Technology, Cassandra, Real Time Data, Apache Kafka, Machine Learning Operations, Vertica, Stream Processing, Docker, Microservices - **Published:** July 1, 2026 - **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/B479A7C4B6424CFEAC864F69C1B538FE/job/ ## About the Role * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent practical experience). * 15+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 7 years leading large, globally distributed engineering organizations. * Proven track record of architecting and operating large-scale cloud SaaS platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) handling massive data throughput. * Strong expertise in designing and managing distributed, high-throughput database architectures capable of supporting real-time data ingestion and heavy read/write workloads at enterprise scale. * A demonstrated history of practicing extreme ownership-taking total accountability for team outcomes, navigating ambiguity, and proactively driving solutions. * High energy, a customer-first orientation, and the ability to pivot seamlessly in a fast-paced environment with a resilient, "can-do" attitude., * Prior experience in Cybersecurity, Big Data analytics, or SIEM/SOAR/XDR platforms is highly desirable. * Deep familiarity with modern NoSQL, Time-Series, and Distributed Databases/Data Warehouses (e.g., Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, ClickHouse, Cassandra, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redis). * Experience deploying or managing teams that build/utilize machine learning pipelines or generative AI tools. * Deep familiarity with modern backend languages (Go, Python), containerization (Kubernetes, Docker), and stream processing (Kafka, Pub/Sub). ## Description We are seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the development of Cortex Platform teams in Santa Clara, CA. Hands-on experience with cloud distributed systems and high scale designs. Deeper experience with microservices, data stores and production troubleshooting., * Define the engineering vision and long-term technical roadmap for the Cortex Platform US teams, ensuring alignment with global business objectives. * Cultivate engineering rigor with an uncompromising focus on high-scale architecture, multi-tenant cloud reliability, and end-to-end operational observability. * Champion AI-powered development by integrating modern AI tools and LLM utilities into the engineering workflow to significantly accelerate software delivery cycles. * Adopt a customer-first mindset, actively collaborating with Product Management, Customer Experience, and Sales Operations to translate real-world customer pain points into robust, scalable platform capabilities. * Lead and scale a high-performing software engineering organization delivering enterprise-grade, mission-critical platform services that exceed customer SLAs. * Drive agile execution, establishing clear metrics for team velocity, code quality, and system uptime, ensuring the customer experience is never compromised. * Instill a culture of extreme ownership across all engineering squads, fostering an environment where leaders take end-to-end accountability for their systems, from initial design to production reliability. * Attract, coach, and elevate technical leadership (Principals/Architects) and senior engineering talent within worldwide engineering squads. * Foster an inclusive, innovative, and high-accountability culture that thrives in a fast-paced environment. ## Related Videos - [Leveraging Real time data in FSIs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/806-leveraging-real-time-data-in-fsis) - [Reducing LLM Calls with Vector Search Patterns - Raphael De Lio (Redis)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1714-reducing-llm-calls-with-vector-search-patterns-raphael-de-lio-redis) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [From Messy Queries to Scalable Systems - How Data Engineering actually works](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100203-from-messy-queries-to-scalable-systems-how-data-engineering-actually-works) - [Accelerating Authentication Architecture: Taking Passwordless to the Next Level](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/733-accelerating-authentication-architecture-taking-passwordless-to-the-next-level) - [Alibaba Big Data and Machine Learning Technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/37-alibaba-big-data-and-machine-learning-technology) ## Related Articles - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Best US AI Conferences for CTOs in 2026: Build vs. Buy, Vendor Evaluation, and Peer Intelligence](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/736-best-us-ai-conferences-for-ctos-in-2026-build-vs-buy-vendor-evaluation-and-peer-intelligence) - [Everything a Developer Needs to Know About MCP with Neo4j](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/604-everything-a-developer-needs-to-know-about-mcp-with-neo4j) - [Coffee with Developers - Maria Apazoglou - Making AI understandable for all in production](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/475-coffee-with-developers-maria-apazoglou-making-ai-understandable-for-all-in-production) - [Stephan Gillich - Bringing AI Everywhere](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/489-stephan-gillich-bringing-ai-everywhere) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift)