Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA
Principal Software Engineer jobs in Santa Clara are in high demand, concentrated in the Central Expressway corridor, the Lawrence Expressway tech belt, and the Santa Clara Square and Mission College districts across semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise software. Employers hiring right now include Palo Alto Networks, NVIDIA, and Ampere Computing. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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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
Palo Alto Networks SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) group is looking for a seasoned and accomplished Principal SQA engineer with experience in validating core networking & security features in the SD-WAN team. You will be part of a world-class software engineering team that works on various ground-breaking technologies in the SD-WAN area. You will work with a multi- functional team of engineers solving interesting problems.
We expect office-based employees to be in the office three days per week, with one day working from where they choose. We believe being together facilitates casual conversations and those magic moments where we can work on issues and ideas informally. These moments build capability and deepen trusted relationships and allow our people to feel safe in taking risks and being disruptive. Like so many companies, we are working through the details and things could change …. but in general if a role is deemed office-based we want our teams to be together four days per week.
Responsibilities
Work in a small and fast paced team to solve important customer problems and deliver most impactful results
Contribute in all phases of end to end product and solution validation
Work with different development and quality assurances groups to achieve the best quality
Suggest and implement improvements to the QA process
Work with DevOps and the Technical Support teams to troubleshoot customer issues.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
5+ years of relevant experience, with a BS /MS degree or equivalent military experience required
Exposure to standard TCP/IP protocols such as ARP, IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP & IPSec VPNs
Experience in testing of enterprise routing protocols such as BGP,OSPF & EIGRP etc.
Exposure to networking features like Multicast, IPv6, DNS, NAT & DHCP
Exposure to Linux platform testing on x86 platform architecture, Components and tools
Exposure to control plane and data plane architecture in networking devices
Exposure to with performance characterization of a networking products
Exposure to with Automation/Programming using Python and RestAPI’s
Exposure to system/scale testing simulating large enterprise networks is a plus
Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as VMware ESXi, qemu/kvm, Microsoft Hyper-V
Be able to build and maintain complex networking testbeds
Excellent problem-solving, debugging/troubleshooting skills
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.
$147,000.00 - $237,500.00/yrOur 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?: YesSee All 330+ Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara
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Find JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Job Market in Santa Clara
Who's Hiring
- Palo Alto Networks186

- NVIDIA33

- Ampere Computing28

- Oracle23

- Roche9

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software158
- Agriculture & Farming116
- Electronics & Hardware23
- Artificial Intelligence14
- Manufacturing5
Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a principal software engineer job in Santa Clara?
Focus your search on Santa Clara's dominant hiring sectors: semiconductor design, cloud infrastructure, networking hardware, and enterprise SaaS. Companies clustered along the Central Expressway, near Great America Parkway, and in the Mission College area fill the most principal engineering roles. Candidates who can demonstrate system-level architecture ownership and cross-functional technical leadership stand out in this market, where deep specialization in silicon or large-scale distributed systems is especially valued.
Which companies hire principal software engineers in Santa Clara?
Employers hiring principal software engineers in Santa Clara right now include Palo Alto Networks, NVIDIA, and Ampere Computing, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Santa Clara's employer mix skews heavily toward established semiconductor firms, networking giants, and cloud platform companies rather than early-stage startups.
Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in Santa Clara?
Yes, though principal software engineer roles are moderately remote-friendly, since many involve close collaboration with hardware teams or on-site lab access, particularly in semiconductor and networking companies. About 21% of principal software engineer openings tied to Santa Clara are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with the most flexibility concentrated in pure software and cloud platform roles rather than chip design or systems integration.
How can I get a principal software engineer job in Santa Clara with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing a senior software engineer role at one of Santa Clara's large semiconductor or cloud infrastructure companies, then building toward principal through internal promotion. Employers like those in the Mission College and Great America Parkway corridors often develop senior engineers into principal roles over two to four years. Gaining hands-on experience in system design, architecture reviews, or technical mentorship within those organizations accelerates that progression locally.
Which industries hire the most principal software engineers in Santa Clara?
Santa Clara principal software engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Agriculture & Farming, and Electronics & Hardware, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Santa Clara's position as a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing, networking equipment, and cloud platform development makes those sectors the primary drivers of principal-level engineering hiring in the city.
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