District Systems Engineer

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we're looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

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 Description

Your Career

The District Systems Engineer, Commercial, is a vital part of our sales team, serving as a trusted technical advisor to customers and helping them secure their businesses with Palo Alto Networks solutions. You will provide pre-sales technical support to our commercial sales teams, aligning security solutions with customer needs and ensuring successful deployments that drive adoption and business value.

As a District Systems Engineer, you will work with customers to understand their security challenges, architect solutions that address those challenges, and demonstrate the value of Palo Alto Networks' comprehensive cybersecurity platform. You will be responsible for driving technical wins and ensuring the continued satisfaction of our customers in the commercial sector.

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Curiosity and problem-solving drive the District Systems Engineer role, and you thrive on helping customers secure their environments with innovative solutions. You define your impact by:
• Partnering with sales teams to meet and exceed sales quotas by building and implementing strategic technical account plans
• Positioning, demonstrating, and designing security architectures across the Palo Alto Networks portfolio based on customer business needs and architecting complex environments, including network security, security operations, and cloud security.
• Driving customer adoption of the Palo Alto Networks security platform by helping customers achieve enhanced security, operational efficiency, and business flexibility
• Conducting technical discovery to understand customer requirements and aligning solutions to their specific needs
• Leading proof-of-concept (PoC) engagements, technical workshops, and product demonstrations to showcase the capabilities of our security platform
• Collaborating with Professional Services, Customer Success, and Specialist teams to ensure seamless implementation and adoption of solutions
• Effectively communicating complex security concepts to a variety of stakeholders, from technical practitioners to executive leadership
• Orchestrating supporting resources (Specialists, Channel Partners, Customer Support) to drive a unified strategy for customer success
• Promoting end-to-end security solutions, including Palo Alto Networks and partner professional services, to maximize customer security posture and business value
• Staying ahead of industry trends, competitive landscapes, and emerging security threats to position Palo Alto Networks as the cybersecurity leader
• Continuously investing in personal development to enhance technical expertise and professional skills while actively contributing to the District Systems Engineer community and industry events
• Demonstrating diversity in technical knowledge across SOC, Cloud, Networking, and NetSec, with an emphasis on SOC and Cloud, to drive cross-training and develop platform expertise across the team
• Becoming a technical leader with the desire to grow into a Palo Alto Networks portfolio architect, gaining expertise from NGFW to SASE, SOC, Cloud, and Unit 42 consulting services
• Balancing technical acumen with strategic thinking-acting as one part technical architect and one part CTO
• Building and maintaining strong relationships while demonstrating strong consulting skills
• Understanding the competitive landscape deeply, at least in your area of specialty
• Designing and architecting large, complex environments, leveraging expertise in your technical domain
• Developing strong business acumen with near-term potential to grow into CTO/CIO/CISO-level leadership
• Willingness to travel up to 50% within the assigned district
• Serving as a role model and mentor for inside Systems Engineers

Your Experience

• 6+ years of experience in pre-sales, sales engineering, or a similar technical role
• Strong understanding of data networking, security architectures, and modern cloud computing environments
• Experience delivering cybersecurity solutions that solve complex technical challenges and align with customer business initiatives
• Ability to influence and gain buy-in from key stakeholders, whether in customer-facing or internal engagements
• Strong technical presentation, workshop, and proof-of-concept delivery skills
• Expertise in designing, implementing, or managing one or more of the following security solutions: Network Security, SASE, SaaS, CNAPP, or SOC Transformation Technologies
• Experience collaborating with Customer Support teams to ensure successful implementation and adoption of security solutions
• Background in complex sales cycles involving multiple decision-makers and multi-product solutions is preferred
• Field sales position requiring travel for in-person customer engagements (please discuss specifics with the recruiter)

Additional Information

The Team

Our District Systems Engineers work closely with customers across the commercial sector to secure their digital environments. We educate, inspire, and empower organizations to transform their security architectures and adopt the most advanced cybersecurity solutions available today.

You will be supported by industry-leading tools, systems, and a team dedicated to your success. At Palo Alto Networks, collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Everyone is committed to helping each other succeed, whether in solutions selling, learning, or professional development. Our District Systems Engineering community is driven by the mission to be our customers' cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting their digital way of life.

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/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $198,000 - $273,000/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

Our Commitment

We're problem solvers that 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.