Senior Cloud Security Researcher - Security Automation (Cortex)

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 Join a team redefining cloud security operations across Cloud Detection & Response (CDR) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). Our team operates at the intersection of security, engineering, and large-scale cloud operations. We build products that help organizations detect threats faster, respond with confidence, continuously reduce risk, and secure modern cloud environments at scale. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of autonomous cloud defense by building technology that turns security signals into meaningful action. Key Responsibilities Help build the next generation of the Autonomous Cloud SOC by transforming detections, posture findings, and emerging threats into intelligent investigation and response workflows. Design and build automated playbooks that investigate security signals, gather evidence, assess blast radius, validate risk, and guide or execute response actions. Work across cloud control planes, identity systems, Kubernetes environments, network telemetry, and posture data to turn signals into high-confidence outcomes. Leverage existing detections, continuously improve investigation logic, and ensure response workflows remain effective as cloud environments and attacker techniques evolve. Qualifications Required Qualifications 4+ years in security engineering, cloud operations, incident response, threat hunting, DevSecOps, or related security disciplines. 2+ years of hands-on experience securing or operating environments within Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Infrastructure (GCI/GCP). Strong experience with Kubernetes, containers, and modern cloud-native architectures. Deep understanding of cloud networking concepts, including VPC Flow Logs, Transit Gateways, service meshes, and traffic patterns (East-West vs. North-South). Strong comprehension of identity systems (IAM) and how policies interact with network controls to establish secure boundaries. Experience with CI/CD pipelines and modern software delivery practices. Proven experience with incident triage, investigations, containment, remediation, or formal operational response processes. Experience with posture management, governance controls, or applying security best practices such as CIS Benchmarks and recognized cloud architecture frameworks. Strong scripting or programming proficiency in languages such as Python, Go, or Bash. Excellent communication skills, demonstrating the ability to clearly explain complex findings and facilitate alignment across cross-functional teams. Preferred Qualifications Experience working with large-scale data pipelines and analytics platforms such as BigQuery or Dataflow. Familiarity with threat frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK. Recognized expertise or advanced certifications in cloud security, detection and response, or posture management across Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. Experience operating highly available, large-scale cloud environments. Our Commitment 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. 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 . 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. Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.