Principal SQA Engineer (SDWAN Solution)

The Team

The Engineering team is a key player in the development of our products. We are responsible for the entire development process, from design and coding to testing and deployment. Our team is made up of talented and passionate engineers who are dedicated to building the best possible products for our customers.

Job Summary

Palo Alto Networks SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) group is seeking a seasoned Principal SQA Engineer to validate core networking and security features for our industry-leading SD-WAN solutions. You will join a world-class, multi-functional engineering team working on ground-breaking technologies. In this role, you will be instrumental in solving complex customer problems and ensuring the quality and reliability of our products.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the end-to-end test strategy, architecture, and execution plans for enterprise-scale SD-WAN solutions.
• Proactively collaborate with Product Management, TME, and Customer Support teams to understand and replicate complex customer use cases.
• Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive test frameworks, complex networking testbeds, and automation scripts using Python and REST APIs.
• Execute system, solution, scale, performance, interoperability, and failover testing to ensure product robustness.
• Work closely with development and other QA groups to ensure alignment and achieve the highest standards of quality, suggesting and implementing process improvements.
• Partner with DevOps and Technical Support teams to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve customer-escalated issues.
• Lead technical discussions with authority, mentor junior team members to foster skill development, and support customer deployments as a subject matter expert.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in software quality assurance for networking products.
• Expertise in L2/L3 networking, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), MPLS, IPSec, QoS, and NAT.
• Deep understanding of standard TCP/IP protocols (ARP, IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP) and networking features (Multicast, IPv6, DNS, DHCP).
• Proven experience in designing and implementing automation frameworks using Python and REST APIs.
• Demonstrated expertise in performance characterization and testing of SD-WAN solutions, including control plane, data plane, and security features.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with traffic generation tools such as Ixia or Spirent and protocol analyzers like Wireshark.
• Familiarity with virtualization technologies including VMware ESXi, KVM/QEMU, or Microsoft Hyper-V.
• A curious and positive mindset with excellent problem-solving, debugging, and troubleshooting skills.

Additional Information

The Team

Our engineering team is at the core of SD-WAN products – connected directly to the mission of providing world class SASE solutions. We are constantly innovating – challenging the way we, and the industry, think about SD-WAN. Our engineers don’t shy away from building products to solve problems no one has pursued before.

We define the industry, instead of waiting for directions. We need individuals who feel comfortable in ambiguity, excited by the prospect of a challenge, and empowered by the unknown risks facing our everyday lives that are only enabled by a secure digital environment.

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. To learn more about our dedication to inclusion and innovation, visit our Life at Palo Alto Networks page and our diversity website.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that 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.

About the Company

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.