Sr. Director, Threat Intelligence - Unit 42

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.

FLEXWORK is an employee-centric reimagining of how we work. We built FLEXWORK based on employee feedback – it is about flexibility, trust, and choice whenever possible. It’s been a journey of disruption that has yielded the best of our values. We offer as much flexibility as possible, and choices that enable you to be most productive, including benefits that meet your needs and learning opportunities that you feel passionate about.

Our Approach to Work

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work from the office three days per week, leaving two days for choice and flexibility to work where you feel most effective. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. While details may evolve, our goal is to create an environment where innovation thrives, with office-based teams coming together three days a week to collaborate and thrive, together!

Your Career

We are seeking a Senior Director for our Unit 42Threat Intelligence team to run the Strategic Research Group, a team of elite Threat Intelligence experts dedicated to producing unique insights and intelligence through our proprietary data sets. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in enhancing our threat research capabilities, understanding threat actors and their tactics, and contributing to the development of world-class Threat Intelligence products and services.

Your Impact

As the Senior Director of the Strategic Research Group for Unit 42, your primary responsibilities will include:

• Lead the Strategic Research Group in producing unique and actionable intelligence using our proprietary data sets
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of threat actors, their motivations, and their modus operandi
• Establish and cultivate a world-class Coordinated Research Team to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing within the Unit 42Threat Intelligence division
• Oversee the tracking and analysis of Nation State/APT and Cybercrime attack groups and their activities
• Manage the Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering team to analyze and dissect emerging threats, malware, and zero day attacks
• Implement a Unit 42 Subject Matter Expert (SME) program to provide region-specific threat research with clear research accountability
• Accelerate the creation of strategic Threat Intelligence and contribute to the development of a Knowledge Store to enable efficient intelligence sharing
• Expand threat actor and malware family profiles for deeper insights and proactive defense measures
• Collaborate with other product teams to deliver Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) and Signatures for various products offered by the company
• Identify and address product telemetry access gaps through thorough threat research and notify relevant product teams
• Create and lead a victim identification program to support organizations who are actively under attack
• Production of a high cadence of quality Threat Intel research on the respected Unit 42 blog

Your Experience

• A recognized thought leader in the field of Threat Intelligence with a proven track record of driving innovation and advancement in the industry
• Excellent public speaking skills with experience presenting at conferences and engaging with executives internally
• Demonstrated ability to manage and mentor a team of exceptional intelligence managers and help them drive the future directions of their respective teams
• Proven experience in developing business plans related to Threat Intelligence initiatives
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to effectively triage and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Experience in coordinating with cross-organizational threat analysts to maximize Threat Intelligence efforts
• Comfortable with client-facing responsibilities, including meeting and presenting to large customers globally often
• Ability to engage with engineering teams to prioritize Threat Intelligence requirements in product development
• Proficiency in data modeling and storage of intelligence data to enable scalable and high-performing operations
• Demonstrated leadership in driving the strategic direction of Threat Intelligence research and capabilities
• Experience in interacting with government agencies worldwide, and preference for holding a security clearance (not a hard requirement)
• Previous experience managing intelligence teams and operations, ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of operations

The Team

Unit 42 brings together our world-renowned threat researchers with an elite team of security consultants to create an intelligence-driven, response ready organization. The Unit 42Threat Intelligence team provides threat research that enables security teams to understand adversary intent and attribution, while enhancing protections offered by our products and services to stop advanced attacks. As threats escalate, Unit 42 is available to advise customers on the latest risks, assess their readiness, and help them recover when the worst occurs.

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.

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 $221,000/yr to $357,500/yr. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.