Principal Engineer Software Platform Database- (Cortex Cloud)

Palo Alto Networks
Full_timeTel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

📍 Job Overview

  • Job Title: Principal Engineer Software Platform Database (Cortex Cloud)
  • Company: Palo Alto Networks
  • Location: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Job Type: On-site, Full-time
  • Category: Senior DevOps Engineer / Site Reliability Engineer
  • Date Posted: June 26, 2025
  • Experience Level: 5-10 years
  • Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

  • Design and build scalable infrastructure for billions of events per second, supporting Cortex Cloud's leading cybersecurity products.
  • Collaborate with industry-leading cyber teams to innovate and drive ideas into reality.
  • On-call responsibilities and operational excellence to ensure high system availability and performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in software engineering, distributed cloud products, and database technologies to succeed in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

  • Complete Software Development Life Cycle: Responsible for requirement analysis, design, development, deployment, and support.
  • Innovation and Idea Driving: Proactively identify and implement new solutions to enhance system capabilities and performance.
  • On-Call Responsibilities: Ensure high system availability and performance through operational excellence and quick issue resolution.
  • Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including product and engineering, to build enablement material and ensure successful product releases.
  • Technical Leadership: Mentor and guide junior team members, fostering a culture of learning and growth.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: BS in Computer Science, equivalent knowledge, or equivalent military experience.

Experience:

  • 5+ years of software engineering experience (mandatory)
  • Experience with distributed cloud products
  • Experience with various database technologies (Mysql, Cassandra, Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, ElasticSearch, etc.)
  • Experience with writing CI-CD pipelines (advantage)
  • Experience in designing, building, and maintaining scalable server-side applications
  • Experience with Go, Python, GCP, Kubernetes, and Docker (advantage)
  • Knowledge of the cyber field (advantage)

Required Skills:

  • Strong software engineering background
  • Experience with distributed cloud products and various database technologies
  • Proficiency in Go, Python, GCP, Kubernetes, and Docker
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with on-call responsibilities and operational excellence
  • Familiarity with the cybersecurity industry and its trends
  • Strong leadership and mentoring skills

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Demonstrate experience with distributed cloud products and various database technologies through relevant projects.
  • Showcase your ability to design, build, and maintain scalable server-side applications.
  • Highlight your experience with CI-CD pipelines and on-call responsibilities.

Technical Documentation:

  • Provide code samples and explain your approach to software development, focusing on quality, performance, and maintainability.
  • Document your experience with CI-CD pipelines, deployment processes, and server configuration.
  • Include testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques used in your projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The salary range for this role in Tel Aviv, Israel, is approximately ₪350,000 - ₪450,000 per year (before tax), based on market research and the required experience level.

Benefits:

  • FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items
  • Mental and financial health resources
  • Personalized learning opportunities
  • Competitive compensation and benefits package

Working Hours: Full-time position with standard working hours, including on-call responsibilities and operational excellence.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Cybersecurity

Company Size: Large (10,000+ employees)

Founded: 2005

Team Structure:

  • Highly technical team focused on building enablement material for multiple teams within Palo Alto Networks.
  • Collaborative environment working closely with product and engineering teams.
  • Mentoring and knowledge-sharing culture to foster growth and learning.

Development Methodology:

  • Agile development methodologies with sprint planning and regular code reviews.
  • CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment and testing.
  • On-call responsibilities and operational excellence to ensure high system availability and performance.

Company Website: Palo Alto Networks

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks is a large, established cybersecurity company that values innovation and collaboration. The team structure and development methodology foster a culture of learning and growth, making it an ideal environment for experienced software engineers looking to make a significant impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior DevOps Engineer / Site Reliability Engineer

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the team lead and collaborates closely with product and engineering teams.

Technical Impact: Principal Engineers have a significant impact on the design, development, and maintenance of Cortex Cloud's infrastructure, ensuring high system availability, performance, and scalability.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Technical leadership and mentoring opportunities within the team.
  • Potential to work on cutting-edge cybersecurity projects and technologies.
  • Opportunities to advance within the company, such as moving into a management or architecture role.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers numerous growth opportunities for experienced software engineers looking to advance their careers in the cybersecurity industry. The collaborative environment and focus on innovation provide an ideal setting for continuous learning and professional development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, with a collaborative and innovative work environment.

Office Location(s): Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Workspace Context:

  • Modern, well-equipped offices with multiple monitors and testing devices available.
  • Collaborative workspace with opportunities for cross-functional team interaction and knowledge-sharing.
  • Flexible work arrangements, including on-call responsibilities and operational excellence.

Work Schedule: Full-time position with standard working hours, including on-call responsibilities and operational excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks offers a collaborative and innovative work environment with flexible work arrangements, allowing experienced software engineers to thrive and make a significant impact on the company's success.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

  1. Technical Phone Screen: A 30-minute phone or video call to assess your technical skills and cultural fit.
  2. On-site Technical Deep Dive: A 2-3 hour on-site session focusing on your problem-solving skills, system design, and coding abilities.
  3. Behavioral and Cultural Fit Assessment: A 30-minute discussion to evaluate your soft skills, communication, and teamwork abilities.
  4. Final Decision: A final evaluation based on your performance throughout the interview process.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Highlight your experience with distributed cloud products and various database technologies.
  • Showcase your ability to design, build, and maintain scalable server-side applications.
  • Demonstrate your experience with CI-CD pipelines and on-call responsibilities.
  • Prepare a live demo or presentation of your most relevant projects, focusing on user experience, technical implementation, and performance optimization.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

  • Brush up on your problem-solving skills, system design, and coding abilities.
  • Familiarize yourself with Palo Alto Networks' products and services, as well as the cybersecurity industry trends.
  • Prepare for behavioral and cultural fit assessments by reflecting on your past experiences and accomplishments.

ATS Keywords: (Organized by category)

  • Programming Languages: Go, Python
  • Cloud Platforms: GCP
  • Containerization & Orchestration: Kubernetes, Docker
  • Databases: MySQL, Cassandra, Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, ElasticSearch
  • CI/CD Tools: Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, CircleCI
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Terraform, CloudFormation
  • Soft Skills: Problem-solving, innovation, leadership, mentoring, collaboration
  • Industry Terms: Cybersecurity, on-call, operational excellence, distributed cloud products, database technologies

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. By strategically preparing for each stage and utilizing the provided ATS keywords, you can optimize your application and increase your chances of success.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Programming Languages:

  • Go (Golang)
  • Python

Cloud Platforms:

  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Containerization & Orchestration:

  • Kubernetes
  • Docker

Databases:

  • MySQL
  • Cassandra
  • Google BigQuery
  • Amazon Redshift
  • ElasticSearch

CI/CD Tools:

  • Jenkins
  • GitLab CI/CD
  • CircleCI

Infrastructure as Code (IaC):

  • Terraform
  • CloudFormation

Monitoring & Logging:

  • Prometheus
  • Grafana
  • ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)

Version Control:

  • Git

Collaboration Tools:

  • Jira
  • Confluence
  • Slack

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks uses a modern technology stack, including Go, Python, GCP, Kubernetes, and various database technologies. Familiarizing yourself with these tools and technologies will help you succeed in the interview process and contribute effectively to the team.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

  • Innovation: Palo Alto Networks values innovation and encourages team members to drive ideas and initiatives that make a real impact.
  • Collaboration: The team fosters a collaborative environment, working closely with product and engineering teams to build enablement material and ensure successful product releases.
  • Quality: The team is committed to delivering high-quality software that meets the needs of its users and ensures the security of Palo Alto Networks' products.
  • Continuous Learning: Palo Alto Networks encourages continuous learning and provides opportunities for team members to grow professionally.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Integration: The team works closely with product and engineering teams to build enablement material and ensure successful product releases.
  • Code Review Culture: The team follows best practices for code reviews, ensuring code quality and knowledge-sharing.
  • Knowledge Sharing: The team encourages mentoring and knowledge-sharing, fostering a culture of learning and growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks values innovation, collaboration, quality, and continuous learning. The team's collaborative style and commitment to knowledge-sharing make it an ideal environment for experienced software engineers looking to grow both personally and professionally.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

  • Designing and building scalable infrastructure for billions of events per second.
  • Ensuring high system availability and performance through on-call responsibilities and operational excellence.
  • Collaborating with industry-leading cyber teams to innovate and drive ideas into reality.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Working on cutting-edge cybersecurity projects and technologies.
  • Mentoring and guiding junior team members, fostering a culture of learning and growth.
  • Opportunities to advance within the company, such as moving into a management or architecture role.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents numerous technical challenges and learning opportunities for experienced software engineers looking to advance their careers in the cybersecurity industry. The collaborative environment and focus on innovation provide an ideal setting for continuous learning and professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

  • System Design: Design a scalable, high-availability infrastructure for a large-scale event processing system. Discuss trade-offs and make architecture decisions based on given constraints.
  • Coding: Solve algorithmic problems related to data processing, system design, and optimization.
  • Database Management: Discuss your experience with various database technologies and explain how you would optimize performance and scalability for a large-scale event processing system.

Company & Culture Questions:

  • Product Knowledge: Demonstrate your understanding of Palo Alto Networks' products and services, as well as the cybersecurity industry trends.
  • Team Dynamics: Explain how you would collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product and engineering teams, to build enablement material and ensure successful product releases.
  • Problem-Solving: Describe a challenging technical problem you faced in the past and how you approached it. Discuss the outcome and what you learned from the experience.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Live Demo: Prepare a live demo or presentation of your most relevant projects, focusing on user experience, technical implementation, and performance optimization.
  • Code Walkthrough: Be prepared to explain your code and architecture decisions, demonstrating your problem-solving skills and technical expertise.
  • Q&A: Anticipate and prepare for questions about your projects, the technologies used, and the challenges you faced during development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role focuses on assessing your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. By strategically preparing for each stage and utilizing the provided interview preparation tips, you can optimize your application and increase your chances of success.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for the Principal Engineer Software Platform Database (Cortex Cloud) position at Palo Alto Networks:

  1. Submit your application through the application link provided in the job listing.
  2. Customize your portfolio with relevant projects that demonstrate your experience with distributed cloud products, various database technologies, and scalable server-side applications.
  3. Optimize your resume by highlighting your technical skills and relevant experience with the required technologies and tools.
  4. Prepare for the technical interview by brushing up on your problem-solving skills, system design, and coding abilities. Familiarize yourself with Palo Alto Networks' products and services, as well as the cybersecurity industry trends.
  5. Research the company and its products to ensure a strong understanding of their mission, values, and culture. Prepare for behavioral and cultural fit assessments by reflecting on your past experiences and accomplishments.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

Candidates should have a BS in Computer Science or equivalent experience and at least 5 years of software engineering experience. Experience with various database technologies and cloud products is essential.