Security Research Manager: Identity, SaaS, and Cloud (Cortex Cloud)

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

We are seeking a seasoned security leader to manage a high-caliber research team focused on the security of Identity, SaaS, and Cloud ecosystems. In this role, you will provide technical mentorship and strategic vision, guiding research into service risk profiling and adversarial TTPs analysis. You will be the bridge between cutting-edge research and product innovation, ensuring our findings translate into high-impact security outcomes to stay ahead of modern adversaries.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the research roadmap for Identity, SaaS, and Cloud risks, ensuring the team's outputs align with the evolving threat landscape and company goals.

• Lead and grow a diverse team of security researchers, providing the technical guidance and career development necessary to maintain a world-class research organization.

• Leverage your experience in a product-focused environment to ensure research outcomes directly influence service security strategies and customer-facing solutions.

• Oversee the execution of high-fidelity attack simulations and TTP deconstruction, ensuring the 'how-to' of secure service usage is clearly defined and actionable.

• Partner with Engineering, Product Management, and Threat Intel teams to transform raw research into robust mitigation strategies and resilient service blueprints.

• Represent the team's research internally and externally, positioning the organization as a premier authority on Identity-centric and Cloud security.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in technical leadership or people management, with a proven track record of directing high-impact security research projects.

• Proven experience leading, mentoring, or managing a team of technical security researchers.

• Deep technical expertise in security research related to Identity platforms (e.g., Azure AD, Okta), SaaS applications, and major cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).

• Demonstrated ability to define and execute a strategic research agenda.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a product-driven cybersecurity company, translating research into product features or security solutions.

• A track record of public speaking at security conferences or publishing research papers.

• Experience with adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) analysis and simulation.

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  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.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.