Senior Threat Researcher, Unit 42 (Clearance Required)

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! This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters. Job Summary The Team Unit 42 brings together world-renowned threat researchers, elite incident responders, and expert security consultants to create an intelligence-driven, response-ready organization. The Unit 42 team is on the front lines of every major intrusion, analyzing the tools and techniques of the most advanced threat actors, and sharing our findings to help prevent successful cyberattacks. Our mission is to arm organizations with the threat intelligence and security expertise they need to confidently go on the offense. Job Summary As a member of the Unit 42 National Security Team (NATSEC), you will work with a globally distributed team of vulnerability researchers, reverse engineers, and threat intelligence analysts. In this role, you will be embedded within a customer environment, tracking cyber criminals, ransomware groups, and advanced persistent threats to support sensitive customer intelligence requirements and make a significant impact on national security. While this is a remote position, you must reside within a local commuting distance to Ft. Meade, Maryland, to support on-site requirements. Key Responsibilities • Provide timely and actionable intelligence to support customer intelligence requirements. • Leverage global datasets (e.g., netflow, malware, passive DNS, geospatial intelligence) to track malicious cyber actors, their infrastructure, and campaigns. • Proactively collaborate and exchange information with a global team of threat intelligence analysts to analyze and develop coverage for emerging threats. • Develop and present strategic threat assessments tailored to customer needs and intelligence gaps. • Communicate effectively with product engineering teams to improve detection efficacy in our ecosystem of products. • Challenge existing assumptions by curiously investigating threat actor TTPs to produce unique and predictive intelligence. • Simplify complex technical findings into clear, concise reports for a variety of audiences. Qualifications • Active Top Secret Clearance (TS/SCI) with Polygraph. • Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field; OR 5+ years of equivalent experience as a cleared cyber threat intelligence analyst. • Proficiency in a programming or scripting language such as Python, C, or C++. • Strong knowledge of cyber security threat actors, particularly their tactics, techniques, procedures (TTPs), and tooling. • Experience leveraging netflow, passive DNS, IP registration, and malware telemetry to form comprehensive threat assessments. • To comply with U.S. federal government requirements, U.S. citizenship is required for this position. • Must reside within commuting distance to Ft. Meade, Maryland Preferred Qualifications • Experience with large-scale data analysis platforms, such as BigQuery. • Familiarity with static and dynamic malware analysis using common industry tools (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, x64dbg). • Deep knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK Matrix and its application in tracking threat actor behaviors. • Experience working within a security operations center (SOC), fusion center, or incident management team. • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with experience delivering presentations to technical and executive audiences. 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. $139,600.00 - $225,775.00/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 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. Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job