Principal Consultant, Penetration Testing, Unit 42

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!

Job Summary

The Team

Unit 42 - Unit 42 is our global threat intelligence team, and our mission is to provide customers with the context, analysis, and assistance they need to protect themselves from the most sophisticated cyber threats. We are on the front lines of cyber security, researching and hunting for the latest threats and providing that intelligence to our customers and the broader community. Our team is a group of world-renowned security researchers, incident responders, and security consultants who are at the forefront of the fight to prevent successful cyberattacks.

Job Summary

As a Principal Consultant on the Offensive Security team, you will be a key leader in assessing and challenging the security posture of a diverse client portfolio. You will leverage a variety of advanced tools and methodologies to act as the client's advocate for cybersecurity best practices. This role is critical in providing strong, actionable recommendations to enhance our clients' defenses against sophisticated threats.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead conducting comprehensive penetration tests (network, web application, cloud, mobile) to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
• Deliver assessments using Palo Alto Networks Frontier AI Defense test harnesses and platforms using the latest frontier models.
• Develop custom scripts, tools, and methodologies to automate and enhance offensive security engagements and internal processes.
• Lead client engagements, clearly articulating testing approaches and methodologies to both technical and executive audiences.
• Generate detailed reports that communicate test results, identified risks, and concrete remediation recommendations to clients.
• Proactively collaborate with internal teams and clients, exchanging information to ensure alignment and accomplish shared security objectives.
• Lead in scoping new opportunities and developing internal infrastructure for offensive security research and development.
• Ability to travel as needed to meet business demands

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 6+ years of professional experience in information security, with a focus on penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.
• Expertise with security assessment tools such as Metasploit, Burp Suite Pro, Cobalt Strike, Nessus, and Bloodhound.
• Proficiency in scripting or programming with languages like Python, PowerShell, Ruby, or C++.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting penetration tests across various environments including Windows, Linux, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing or mentoring junior consultants on security engagements.
• Demonstrated interest in LLM driven offensive security
• Certifications such as OSCP, OSCE, GPEN, GWAPT, or GXPN.
• Experience with public speaking, publishing research, or contributing to the security community.

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.