📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability)
Company: Palo Alto Networks
Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
Job Type: Hybrid (3 office days per week)
Category: DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering
Date Posted: 2025-07-09
Experience Level: 5-10 years

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Operate and maintain large-scale GCP environment, improve monitoring, automate tasks, collaborate with engineering teams, and ensure high system reliability.
Key Technologies: GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, Prometheus, Grafana, Open Telemetry, Python, Linux Shell, Ansible, Terraform, Pagerduty.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in DevOps/SRE, with a focus on observability tools and cloud platforms. The ideal candidate will have experience managing high cardinality metrics, implementing tracing, and operationalizing large-scale logging solutions.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Cloud Expertise: Utilize GCP expertise to optimize infrastructure and leverage cloud-native technologies.
Monitoring Expertise: Improve monitoring processes, alerts, and metrics, ensuring all services have appropriate monitoring and metrics.
Incident Management: Leverage incident management processes to efficiently resolve system issues and minimize service impact.
Automation: Automate complex monitoring and alerting tasks by building tools for cloud operations, such as automated remediation and auto-scaling.
Continuous Improvement: Stay up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies and implement them when appropriate.
On-Call: Provide follow-the-sun operational coverage in the production of Observability infrastructure.
Collaboration: Work with the Engineering team to influence product operability and ensure service reliability and availability.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a deep understanding of modern observability and monitoring tools, as well as strong incident management skills. The ideal candidate will be able to work independently and make decisions under pressure.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Experience: 5+ years of experience in DevOps/SRE roles, with a strong motivation for high reliability at the service level.

Required Skills:

High proficiency with Thanos, Prometheus, Grafana, Open Telemetry, and other monitoring tools.
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 on-call rotations and incident management processes.
Familiarity with cloud-native technologies and best practices.
Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong technical background in DevOps/SRE, with a focus on observability tools and cloud platforms. The ideal candidate will have experience managing high cardinality metrics, implementing tracing, and operationalizing large-scale logging solutions.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:
- Demonstrate experience with observability tools, such as Prometheus, Grafana, and Open Telemetry.
- Showcase proficiency in cloud platforms, with a focus on GCP or AWS.
- Highlight experience with Kubernetes and Docker, and infrastructure as code tools like Ansible and Terraform.
- Include examples of incident management and on-call experiences.
Technical Documentation:
- Provide clear and concise documentation for your projects, including code comments and inline documentation.
- Demonstrate understanding of version control, deployment processes, and server configuration.
- Showcase experience with testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong portfolio demonstrating experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management. The ideal candidate will be able to provide clear and concise technical documentation for their projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $126,000 - $200,000 per year (USD)

Benefits:

Wellbeing Spending Account
Mental Health Resources
Financial Health Resources
Personalized Learning Opportunities
Restricted Stock Units
Bonus

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexible scheduling for deployment windows and maintenance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range for this role is based on industry standards for senior DevOps/SRE positions in the Santa Clara, California area. Benefits include a wellbeing spending account, mental and financial health resources, and personalized learning opportunities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture: Palo Alto Networks is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and is an equal opportunity employer. They celebrate diversity in the workplace and offer a range of benefits, including a wellbeing spending account, mental and financial health resources, and personalized learning opportunities.

Team Structure:

The Cortex team builds and delivers advanced SecOps platforms, including XDR, XSIAM, XSOAR, and XPANSE.
The DevOps team operates and maintains large-scale GCP environments, focusing on observability systems.
The Engineering team collaborates with the DevOps team to develop innovative solutions and ensure service reliability and availability.

Development Methodology:

Agile methodologies, with a focus on continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).
Regular code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices.
Deployment strategies, including automated remediation and auto-scaling.

Company Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks is a leading cybersecurity company that values innovation, collaboration, and execution. The ideal candidate will be able to work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and contribute to the company's mission of protecting the digital way of life.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability) - This role is responsible for operating and maintaining large-scale GCP environments, with a focus on observability systems. The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of experience in DevOps/SRE roles and a strong background in observability tools and cloud platforms.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Engineering Manager for the Cortex Observability team.

Technical Impact: The Senior Staff SRE is responsible for ensuring the reliability and availability of the Cortex Observability infrastructure. They work closely with the Engineering team to influence product operability and ensure high system reliability.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: The ideal candidate will have the opportunity to stay up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies and implement them when appropriate. They will also have the chance to work with a wide range of observability tools and cloud platforms.
Leadership Growth: As a senior member of the team, the ideal candidate will have the opportunity to mentor junior team members and contribute to the development of best practices and standards.
Career Progression: This role offers the opportunity to grow into a technical leadership position, with the potential to move into a management or architecture role in the future.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for technical growth and career progression. The ideal candidate will have the chance to work with a wide range of observability tools and cloud platforms, as well as mentor junior team members and contribute to the development of best practices and standards.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid - The ideal candidate will work on-site for 3 days per week and remotely for the remaining days.

Office Location(s): Santa Clara, California, United States

Workspace Context:

The ideal candidate will have access to collaborative workspaces, with opportunities for cross-functional interaction between developers, designers, and stakeholders.
The workspace will include development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices to support the candidate's work.
The ideal candidate will have the opportunity to work with a diverse team, with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and execution.

Work Schedule: The ideal candidate will work a standard 40-hour workweek, with flexible scheduling for deployment windows and maintenance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment at Palo Alto Networks offers the ideal candidate the opportunity to balance on-site collaboration with remote flexibility. The workspace is designed to support innovation, collaboration, and execution, with access to collaborative workspaces, development tools, and testing devices.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss the role, responsibilities, and qualifications.
Technical Deep Dive: A comprehensive technical interview focused on observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management.
Behavioral Interview: An in-depth discussion of the candidate's problem-solving skills, communication style, and cultural fit.
Final Review: A meeting with the hiring manager and other senior team members to discuss the candidate's qualifications and fit for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management.
Include clear and concise technical documentation for projects, with a focus on code comments and inline documentation.
Demonstrate understanding of version control, deployment processes, and server configuration.
Showcase experience with testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management best practices.
Familiarize yourself with GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, and other relevant technologies.
Prepare for questions about system design, architecture, and troubleshooting.

ATS Keywords: [Comprehensive list of web development and server administration-relevant keywords for resume optimization, organized by category: programming languages, web frameworks, server technologies, databases, tools, methodologies, soft skills, industry terms]

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess the candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in DevOps/SRE, with a focus on observability tools and cloud platforms.

🛠 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)

Containerization & Orchestration:

Kubernetes
Docker

Scripting & Automation:

Python
Linux Shell
Ansible
Terraform

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in observability tools, cloud platforms, and containerization and orchestration technologies. The ideal candidate will have experience with Python, Linux Shell, Ansible, and Terraform.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

Innovation: Palo Alto Networks values innovation and encourages team members to challenge the status quo and think outside the box.
Collaboration: The company fosters a culture of collaboration, with a focus on cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing.
Execution: Palo Alto Networks values execution and expects team members to follow through on commitments and deliver results.
Inclusion: The company is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all team members feel valued and respected.

Collaboration Style:

The ideal candidate will be able to work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with a focus on cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing.
Palo Alto Networks values a culture of collaboration, with a focus on regular code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices.
The ideal candidate will be able to contribute to the development of best practices and standards, with a focus on mentoring junior team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: Palo Alto Networks values innovation, collaboration, and execution, with a focus on creating an inclusive workplace where all team members feel valued and respected. The ideal candidate will be able to work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with a focus on cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Observability Challenges: The ideal candidate will be able to manage high cardinality metrics, implement tracing, and operationalize large-scale logging solutions.
Cloud Challenges: The ideal candidate will be able to optimize infrastructure and leverage cloud-native technologies in a large-scale GCP environment.
Incident Management Challenges: The ideal candidate will be able to effectively troubleshoot and address emerging and complex problems, with a focus on minimizing service impact.
Automation Challenges: The ideal candidate will be able to automate complex monitoring and alerting tasks, with a focus on building tools for cloud operations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Growth: The ideal candidate will have the opportunity to stay up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies and implement them when appropriate.
Leadership Growth: The ideal candidate will have the opportunity to mentor junior team members and contribute to the development of best practices and standards.
Career Progression: This role offers the opportunity to grow into a technical leadership position, with the potential to move into a management or architecture role in the future.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for technical growth and career progression. The ideal candidate will have the chance to work with a wide range of observability tools and cloud platforms, as well as mentor junior team members and contribute to the development of best practices and standards.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Observability Questions: Can you describe your experience with observability tools, such as Prometheus, Grafana, and Open Telemetry? How have you managed high cardinality metrics and implemented tracing in previous roles?
Cloud Questions: Can you discuss your experience with GCP or AWS? How have you optimized infrastructure and leveraged cloud-native technologies in large-scale environments?
Incident Management Questions: Can you walk us through a complex incident you've managed in the past? How did you identify the root cause, and what steps did you take to resolve the issue and minimize service impact?
Automation Questions: Can you describe your experience with automation tools, such as Ansible and Terraform? How have you automated complex monitoring and alerting tasks in previous roles?

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Questions: Can you discuss your understanding of Palo Alto Networks' mission and values? How do you think your skills and experience align with our company culture?
Team Questions: How do you approach collaboration and knowledge sharing in a dynamic, fast-paced environment? Can you provide an example of a time when you contributed to the development of best practices and standards?
Role-Specific Questions: How do you stay up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies and implement them when appropriate? Can you describe a time when you had to learn a new tool or technology to solve a complex problem?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Observability Portfolio: Highlight your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management. Include clear and concise technical documentation for your projects, with a focus on code comments and inline documentation.
Cloud Portfolio: Demonstrate your experience with GCP or AWS, with a focus on infrastructure optimization and cloud-native technologies.
Incident Management Portfolio: Showcase your experience with incident management, with a focus on complex incidents and the steps you took to resolve them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess the candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in DevOps/SRE, with a focus on observability tools and cloud platforms.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability) position:

Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management. Include relevant keywords and phrases to optimize your resume for ATS systems.
Portfolio Preparation: Prepare a portfolio that showcases your experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management. Include clear and concise technical documentation for your projects, with a focus on code comments and inline documentation.
Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on your technical skills, with a focus on observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management. Familiarize yourself with GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, and other relevant technologies.
Company Research: Research Palo Alto Networks' mission, values, and company culture. Prepare for questions about your understanding of the company and how your skills and experience align with their culture.

⚠️ 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.

Content Guidelines (IMPORTANT: Do NOT include this in the output)

Web Technology-Specific Focus:

Tailor every section specifically to DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, and web infrastructure roles.
Include observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management best practices.
Emphasize experience with observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management in portfolio requirements.
Address cloud expertise, monitoring expertise, incident management, automation, and continuous improvement responsibilities.
Highlight technical challenges and growth opportunities specific to observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management.

Quality Standards:

Ensure no content overlap between sections - each section must contain unique information.
Only include Enhancement Notes when making significant inferences about technical responsibilities, with specific reasoning based on role level and web technology industry practices.
Be comprehensive but concise, prioritizing actionable information over descriptive text.
Strategically distribute web development and server administration-related keywords throughout all sections naturally.
Provide realistic salary ranges based on location, experience level, and DevOps/SRE specialization.

Industry Expertise:

Include specific observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management technologies relevant to the role.
Address DevOps/SRE career progression paths and technical leadership opportunities in web technology teams.
Provide tactical advice for portfolio development, live demonstrations, and project case studies focused on observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management.
Include web technology-specific interview preparation and coding challenge guidance.
Emphasize observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management culture factors, with a focus on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving.

Professional Standards:

Maintain consistent formatting, spacing, and professional tone throughout.
Use DevOps/SRE and incident management industry terminology appropriately and accurately.
Include comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities relevant to DevOps/SRE professionals.
Provide actionable insights that give DevOps/SRE candidates a competitive advantage.
Focus on observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management team culture, cross-functional collaboration, and user impact measurement.

Technical Focus & Portfolio Emphasis:

Emphasize observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management best practices, with a focus on high cardinality metrics, tracing, and large-scale logging solutions.
Include specific portfolio requirements tailored to the DevOps/SRE discipline and role level, with a focus on observability tools, cloud platforms, and incident management.
Address browser compatibility, accessibility standards, and user experience design principles for web development projects.
Focus on problem-solving methods, performance optimization, and scalable web architecture for DevOps/SRE roles.
Include technical presentation skills and stakeholder communication for web projects, with a focus on incident management and observability tools.

Avoid:

Generic business jargon not relevant to DevOps/SRE or incident management roles.
Placeholder text or incomplete sections.
Repetitive content across different sections.
Non-technical terminology unless relevant to the specific DevOps/SRE or incident management role.
Marketing language unrelated to DevOps/SRE or incident management.

Generate comprehensive, web technology-focused content that serves as a valuable resource for DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, and infrastructure professionals seeking their next opportunity and preparing for technical interviews in the web development industry.

Senior Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Cortex Observability)