Staff IT Systems Engineer

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

Staff IAM Systems Engineer Req

We are seeking a Staff Engineer to join our Identity and Access Management (IAM) team. You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining enterprise-grade authentication and authorization systems that secure corporate user access across our organization. This role combines deep technical expertise in identity protocols with hands-on automation and infrastructure work.
Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions for enterprise applications
• Develop and optimize SAML and OIDC integrations across diverse application ecosystems
• Build and maintain automation pipelines using Python to streamline IAM operations
• Manage and administer Windows Active Directory environments, including user provisioning, group policies, and federation services
• Create and maintain shell scripts and automation tools for Linux-based identity infrastructure
• Collaborate with security teams to ensure compliance with authentication and authorization best practices
• Troubleshoot complex authentication flows and resolve integration issues across multiple platforms
• Mentor team members and provide technical leadership on IAM architecture decisions
• Document systems, processes, and runbooks for operational excellence
• Integrate with Google Workspace and other Google services for identity management workflows

Qualifications
Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering, systems engineering, or a related technical role
• Expert-level knowledge of SSO protocols including SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC)
• Strong proficiency in Python for automation, scripting, and tool development
• Deep experience with Windows Active Directory, including ADFS, LDAP, Group Policy, and Azure AD integration
• Solid Linux administration skills with proficiency in Bash scripting
• Experience with identity providers (Okta, Ping Identity, CyberArk, Entra ID, Google Workspace, or similar)
• Understanding of OAuth 2.0 flows and token-based authentication
• Familiarity with certificate management and PKI infrastructure
• Must be local to SF bayarea

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace Admin SDK
• Knowledge of SCIM provisioning and directory synchronization
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, Ansible, or similar)
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Background in security compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP)
• Contributions to open-source identity projects

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/com-missioned roles) is expected to be the annual range listed below. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

$110,000.00 - $178,000.00/yr

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

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.