Sr/Staff AI Engineer

Palo Alto Networks IT Engineering is hiring an Sr/Staff AI Engineer in Santa Clara, CA (onsite) to build AI-first enterprise applications and strengthen enterprise AI capabilities through scalable architecture and production delivery.

Responsibilities

• Architect and deliver production AI-first enterprise applications across full-stack systems, cloud-native services, and applied AI
• Design agentic and retrieval-based systems using LLMs, RAG, embeddings, tool calling, and multi-step workflows
• Define practices for AI evaluation, guardrails, security, observability, reliability, latency, and cost management
• Convert ambiguous business problems into scalable technical architectures and drive complex initiatives through production
• Build reusable engineering patterns and shared capabilities that apply across multiple applications and development teams
• Advance AI-native engineering practices using tools like Cursor and Claude Code, including mentoring engineers and raising technical standards

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• Senior: 5+ years software engineering experience (or 3+ years with a Master’s degree)
• Staff: 8+ years software engineering experience (or 6+ years with a Master’s degree, or 3+ years with a PhD)
• Strong full-stack and distributed systems engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of complex production systems
• Production experience designing and building AI-integrated systems using LLMs, RAG, embeddings, tool calling, or agentic workflows
• Experience with AI orchestration, retrieval, evaluation, guardrails, human-in-the-loop workflows, and production observability
• Strong understanding of APIs, enterprise data, cloud-native architecture, security, reliability, and production operations
• Proven ability to translate ambiguous problems into clear technical architectures and influence technical direction

Technologies

• LLMs, RAG, embeddings, tool calling
• Cursor, Claude Code
• TypeScript, Node.js, NestJS, React, Python, SQL
• Vertex AI, LangChain/LangGraph, MCP, A2A protocols
• Vector databases, semantic search, context engineering
• Docker, Kubernetes, event-driven systems, Windsurf

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in TypeScript, Node.js/NestJS, React, Python, and SQL
• Experience with Vertex AI, LangChain/LangGraph, MCP, A2A protocols, or similar AI platforms and frameworks
• Experience with vector databases, semantic search, context engineering, LLM evaluation, and AI security controls
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, event-driven systems, and modern cloud infrastructure
• Experience using AI-native development environments such as Cursor, Claude Code, or Windsurf in professional engineering workflows
• Experience building reusable enterprise platforms or shared technical capabilities adopted across multiple teams

Compensation

• Salary range: USD 144,200 - 233,200 per year
• Compensation may include restricted stock units and a bonus

Compensation disclosure: Offered compensation depends on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (non-sales roles) or base salary plus commission target (sales/commissioned roles) is expected to fall within the annual range listed above.

Work authorization note: The company will consider applicants with current work authorization and who require a transfer of an existing H-1B visa. The company is not currently considering applicants who require new visa sponsorship (including new H-1B petitions) or individuals currently in OPT/CPT status who will require future sponsorship to maintain work authorization.