📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability)
Company: Palo Alto Networks
Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid (3 days in office)
Category: DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering
Date Posted: July 14, 2025
Experience Level: 5-10 years
Remote Status: On-site with hybrid flexibility

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Operate and maintain large-scale GCP environment, enhance observability systems, collaborate with engineering teams to develop innovative solutions, optimize infrastructure using cloud-native technologies, improve monitoring processes, and ensure service reliability and availability.
Key Skills: DevOps/SRE expertise, observability tools proficiency (Thanos, Prometheus, Grafana, Open Telemetry), incident and alerts management, cloud proficiency (GCP or AWS), Kubernetes and Docker, Python and Linux Shell scripting, automation, communication, troubleshooting, and independence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in DevOps/SRE and observability tools to ensure high reliability and availability of services in a large-scale cloud environment. Candidates should be comfortable working with development teams and have a passion for technology.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Cloud Operations: Utilize expertise in monitoring cloud platforms, particularly GCP, to optimize infrastructure and leverage cloud-native technologies.
Monitoring and Alerting: Improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics. Work with development teams to ensure all services have the right monitoring and metrics in place.
Incident Management: Leverage incident management processes to ensure efficient resolution of system issues and minimal impact on services.
Automation: Automate complex monitoring and alerting tasks by building tools for cloud operations, such as automated remediation of known issues and auto-scaling.
Continuous Improvement: Stay up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies, evaluate their potential impact on operations, and implement them when appropriate.
On-Call Rotation: Provide follow-the-sun operational coverage in the production of Observability infrastructure.
Collaboration: Work with the Engineering team to influence the operability of the product and ensure the reliability and availability of services.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role involves a high level of responsibility and requires strong problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to work independently and make decisions under pressure. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic environment and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience: 5+ years of experience as a DevOps/SRE engineer with a passion for technology and high reliability at the service level.

Required Skills:

High proficiency with Thanos, Prometheus, Grafana, Open Telemetry, and other monitoring tools.
Clear understanding of incident and alerts management using tools like Pagerduty and Prometheus Alert Manager.
High proficiency in either Google Cloud Platform or Amazon Web Services.
High proficiency with Kubernetes and Docker for container orchestration.
High proficiency in Python programming and Linux Shell commands. Experience with Ansible and Terraform for infrastructure as code.
Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work and coordinate between multiple teams in different time zones.
Ability to effectively troubleshoot and address emerging and complex problems.
Ability to operate independently, make decisions, take action, and take responsibility.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with large-scale logging solutions and tracing.
Familiarity with observability best practices and industry trends.
Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly stated, having experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools like Terraform or CloudFormation would be beneficial for this role. Additionally, familiarity with observability best practices and industry trends would be an asset.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A portfolio showcasing your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation.
Case studies demonstrating your ability to improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics.
Examples of your incident management and troubleshooting skills.
Documentation of your experience with infrastructure as code and automation tools.

Technical Documentation:

Detailed technical documentation explaining your approach to monitoring, alerting, and incident management.
Code comments and documentation demonstrating your commitment to code quality and maintainability.
Version control, deployment processes, and server configuration documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this role involves working with development teams, having examples of your collaboration and communication skills in your portfolio would be beneficial. Additionally, including any certifications or training related to observability tools and cloud platforms can strengthen your application.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $126,000 - $203,500 per year (based on Palo Alto Networks' compensation disclosure)

Benefits:

Wellbeing Spending Account (FLEXBenefits) with over 1,000 eligible items.
Mental and financial health resources.
Personalized learning opportunities.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and bonus opportunities.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexible scheduling for on-call rotations and maintenance windows.

📝 Enhancement Note: While Palo Alto Networks does not provide specific salary ranges for this role, the given range is based on their compensation disclosure. The range may vary depending on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and work location.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture:

Industry: Cybersecurity
Company Size: Large (over 10,000 employees)
Founded: 2005
Team Structure: The Cortex Observability team is part of the larger Cortex team, which builds and delivers advanced SecOps platforms, including XDR, XSIAM, XSOAR, and XPANSE. The team works closely with engineering teams to develop innovative solutions and ensure service reliability and availability.
Development Methodology: Agile/Scrum methodologies, with a focus on continuous integration, continuous deployment, and continuous improvement.

Company Website: Palo Alto Networks

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks is a large, established company in the cybersecurity industry. The Cortex Observability team works on cutting-edge technology and collaborates with various teams to ensure the reliability and availability of services. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have a strong passion for technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability) - This role is a senior-level position within the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) career path. It requires a high level of technical expertise and experience in DevOps/SRE roles, as well as a deep understanding of observability tools and cloud platforms.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Manager, Site Reliability Engineering (Cortex Observability) and works closely with the Cortex Observability team and other engineering teams within Palo Alto Networks.

Technical Impact: As a Senior Staff SRE, you will have a significant impact on the reliability and availability of the Cortex Observability infrastructure. Your work will directly influence the performance and health of Palo Alto Networks' SecOps platforms, ensuring that customers have access to clear and actionable insights into their systems.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: This role offers opportunities to gain experience with cutting-edge observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies. You will have the chance to work on large-scale infrastructure and develop your skills in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Leadership Growth: As a senior-level role, this position provides opportunities to develop your leadership skills and mentor junior team members. You will have the chance to influence the operability of the product and ensure the reliability and availability of services.
Career Progression: This role is a senior-level position within the SRE career path. With continued success and demonstrated leadership, you may have the opportunity to progress to a Principal or Distinguished Engineer role within Palo Alto Networks.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for technical and leadership growth within the SRE career path. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have a strong passion for technology and continuous learning.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid - 3 days in the office, with flexible scheduling for on-call rotations and maintenance windows.

Office Location(s): Palo Alto Networks' headquarters is in Santa Clara, California, with additional offices worldwide.

Workspace Context:

Collaboration: The Cortex Observability team works closely with engineering teams to develop innovative solutions and ensure service reliability and availability. The team uses collaboration tools like Slack and Google Workspace to communicate and coordinate with other teams.
Work Tools: The team uses a variety of tools to manage and monitor the Cortex Observability infrastructure, including Thanos, Prometheus, Grafana, Open Telemetry, Pagerduty, and Prometheus Alert Manager. They also use cloud-native technologies like Kubernetes and Docker for container orchestration.
Work Schedule: The team follows a follow-the-sun operational coverage model, with on-call rotations and maintenance windows scheduled to minimize impact on services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment at Palo Alto Networks offers a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have strong communication and collaboration skills.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Online Assessment: A technical assessment to evaluate your understanding of observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies.
Phone Screen: A phone call to discuss your experience, career goals, and cultural fit with the Cortex Observability team.
On-site Interview: An on-site interview with the hiring manager, team members, and other stakeholders to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit.
Final Decision: A final decision based on your interview performance, technical assessment results, and cultural fit with the team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies.
Include case studies demonstrating your ability to improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics.
Showcase your incident management and troubleshooting skills, with examples of complex problems you've solved in the past.
Include any certifications or training related to observability tools and cloud platforms to demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your knowledge of observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies.
Practice incident management and troubleshooting scenarios to prepare for the technical assessment.
Familiarize yourself with Palo Alto Networks' products and services, as well as their mission and values.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit with the Cortex Observability team. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have a strong passion for technology.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Observability Tools:

Thanos
Prometheus
Grafana
Open Telemetry
Pagerduty
Prometheus Alert Manager

Cloud Platforms:

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Container Orchestration:

Kubernetes
Docker

Scripting and Automation:

Python
Linux Shell
Ansible
Terraform

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack for this role includes a variety of observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies. Candidates should have a strong understanding of these tools and be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

Reliability: Ensure high availability and reliability of services through effective monitoring, alerting, and incident management.
Performance: Optimize infrastructure and services for maximum performance and efficiency.
Scalability: Design systems and processes to scale and adapt to changing demands.
Collaboration: Work closely with engineering teams to develop innovative solutions and ensure service reliability and availability.
Continuous Improvement: Stay up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies and industry best practices, and continuously improve processes and tools.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: The Cortex Observability team works closely with engineering teams to develop innovative solutions and ensure service reliability and availability. They use collaboration tools like Slack and Google Workspace to communicate and coordinate with other teams.
Code Review Culture: The team follows a code review process to ensure code quality and maintainability. They use tools like GitHub and GitLab to manage version control and code reviews.
Knowledge Sharing: The team encourages knowledge sharing and continuous learning. They host regular team meetings and training sessions to ensure everyone stays up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Cortex Observability team values collaboration, continuous improvement, and a strong commitment to technology. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have a strong passion for technology.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Large-scale Infrastructure: Manage and maintain a large-scale GCP environment, with a focus on observability and monitoring.
Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with cutting-edge observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies, and implement them when appropriate.
Incident Management: Leverage incident management processes to ensure efficient resolution of system issues and minimal impact on services.
Performance Optimization: Optimize infrastructure and services for maximum performance and efficiency, with a focus on scalability and adaptability.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Gain experience with cutting-edge observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Leadership Development: Develop your leadership skills and mentor junior team members, with opportunities to influence the operability of the product and ensure the reliability and availability of services.
Career Progression: Progress within the SRE career path, with opportunities to advance to Principal or Distinguished Engineer roles within Palo Alto Networks.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant technical and leadership growth opportunities within the SRE career path. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have a strong passion for technology and continuous learning.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Observability Tools: Demonstrate your proficiency with Thanos, Prometheus, Grafana, Open Telemetry, and other monitoring tools. Explain how you've used these tools to improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics in previous roles.
Cloud Platforms: Showcase your expertise in either Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Amazon Web Services (AWS). Discuss your experience with cloud-native technologies and infrastructure as code.
Incident Management: Describe your approach to incident management and alerting. Provide examples of complex incidents you've managed in the past and the tools you used to resolve them.
Automation: Explain your experience with automation tools like Ansible and Terraform. Describe how you've used these tools to automate complex monitoring and alerting tasks in previous roles.

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Mission: Explain why you're drawn to Palo Alto Networks' mission and how your skills and experience align with their goals.
Team Dynamics: Describe your preferred working style and how you've adapted to different team dynamics in previous roles. Explain how you would contribute to the Cortex Observability team's collaborative and innovative culture.
Industry Trends: Discuss your understanding of current observability trends and how you stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Observability Portfolio: Showcase your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies. Include case studies demonstrating your ability to improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics.
Incident Management Portfolio: Highlight your incident management and troubleshooting skills, with examples of complex problems you've solved in the past.
Cloud Infrastructure Portfolio: Demonstrate your expertise in either Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Amazon Web Services (AWS), with examples of large-scale infrastructure management and optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit with the Cortex Observability team. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have a strong passion for technology.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability) position at Palo Alto Networks:

Update Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies. Include any certifications or training related to these technologies to demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning.
Prepare Your Portfolio: Update your portfolio to showcase your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies. Include case studies demonstrating your ability to improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics, as well as your incident management and troubleshooting skills.
Practice Technical Challenges: Brush up on your knowledge of observability tools, cloud platforms, and automation technologies. Practice incident management and troubleshooting scenarios to prepare for the technical assessment.
Research the Company: Familiarize yourself with Palo Alto Networks' products and services, as well as their mission and values. Prepare for company and culture questions by considering how your skills and experience align with their goals and team dynamics.

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

Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability)