Director of Software Engineering, IT - Licensing

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks, we're united by a shared missionto 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

As the Director of Software Engineering Gen AI & IT Licensing, you will be a hands-on change agent responsible for driving the transformation of our IT licensing and asset management platform through real-world Gen AI implementation. This role requires a leader who has built and deployed Gen AI applications in production, not just experimented with AI tools.

You will combine deep engineering expertise with practical Gen AI execution, leading a high-velocity, globally distributed engineering team focused on delivering intelligent, scalable, and resilient systems. This role is critical to optimizing software spend, modernizing our platform, and embedding AI-driven decision-making into our IT ecosystem, while building a strong engineering culture in our Bangalore office.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the technical and architectural authority for the IT licensing and asset management platform, with the ability to dive deep into design, code, and system behavior when required.
• Lead the design, development, and deployment of Gen AI solutions across the platform, including LLM-powered workflows, intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and anomaly detection.
• Drive end-to-end Gen AI implementation, from problem framing and model selection to integration, deployment, monitoring, and iteration in production environments.
• Champion modern engineering practices, including cloud-native architectures, microservices, and AI-first system design.
• Lead and mentor engineering managers and senior engineers, fostering a culture of execution, accountability, adaptability, and continuous learning in a fast-changing AI landscape.
• Operate effectively in a high-pressure, high-velocity environment, balancing multiple competing priorities while maintaining delivery excellence.
• Own the operational health of the platform, embedding DevOps principles, reliability engineering, and observability into AI-enabled systems.
• Collaborate closely with finance, legal, and procurement teams to optimize software spend, ensure license compliance, and influence vendor strategy through data-driven insights. Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, clearly articulating Gen AI strategy, trade-offs, risks, and outcomes to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 15+ years of experience, or Master's degree with 12+ years, or PhD with 8+ years in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven leadership experience leading senior engineers and/or small, high-impact teams; managing very large organizations is not a requirement.
• Strong hands-on engineering background with experience designing and building complex, distributed systems (Java, C#, or equivalent enterprise technologies).
• Demonstrable experience building and deploying Gen AI applications in real-world environments, including:
• Working with LLMs, orchestration frameworks, and AI integration patterns
• Designing AI-driven workflows that solve concrete business problems
• Operating AI systems reliably at scale
• Experience working in fast-moving, ambiguous environments, with the ability to assertively prioritize and deliver under pressure.
• Hands-on experience with systems involving complex integrations and large-scale data movement or transformation.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience applying Gen AI to enterprise or IT domains, such as asset management, licensing, compliance, or operational optimization.

Strong understanding of AI system lifecycle management, including evaluation, monitoring, cost control, and responsible AI practices.

Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and observability for AI-enabled systems.

• Familiarity with software asset management (SAM) or IT licensing models is a plus, but not mandatory.
• Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders without relying on formal authority.

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 [Confidential Information].

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.