Sr. Director, Finance - Next Generation Firewall - Palo Alto Networks

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.

Our Approach to Work

We lead with personalization and choice in all of our people programs. We have disrupted the traditional view that all employees have the same needs and wants. We offer our employees the opportunity to choose what works best for them as often as possible - from your wellbeing support to your growth and development, and beyond!

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 with some flexibility offered where needed. 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 on the industry’s best cybersecurity solutions together!

Your Career

Palo Alto Networks is looking for an experienced finance leader to provide decision support as the Senior Director, Finance - Next Generation Firewall. The ideal candidate is a self-starter, strategic thinker, team developer, and enjoys collaborating with a diverse set of functional leaders in a dynamic fast-paced environment.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, Network Security, this role will oversee Hardware & Software firewalls and Supply Chain operations.  The leader for this organization will work closely with executives in Accounting, Product, and Supply Chain Operations up to the SVP level to set the strategy, define pricing, GTM, manufacturing partnerships, etc. We need someone with financial gravitas to influence business leaders, the ability to span hardware and software business models, and the operational depth to ensure an efficient and effective Supply Chain operation.   

Your Impact

• Interact with the senior leadership team to determine new product roadmap, winning growth strategy, priorities, and to provide regular visibility of progress 
• Ensure depth of understanding around product cost structures, mix, discounts, and overall gross margin performance
• Build and develop a high-performing team demonstrating a ‘CFO Mindset’ while fostering a culture of growth, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking
• Work with the leadership team, the engineering team, and the product team to develop and execute product roadmaps that continue market share expansion
• Develop and present strategic insights about the products, their competition, and customer adoption
• Partner with key stakeholders to socialize and drive support for your vision across executive leadership, product design, marketing, customer success, and sales
• Conduct in-depth analysis of the competition to ensure Palo Alto Networks maintains its leadership position and tracks to its investor thesis
• Closely track industry trends and adapt accordingly
• Understand customer Hardware to Software transitions; Lead the definition of cloud pricing and licensing strategy in support of customers transitioning from on-prem business models
• Ensure successful distribution strategy execution and appropriate channel stocking to support continued growth
• Within strategic parameters, maximize revenue by establishing margin goals for the field, developing expansion GTM motions, and improving end-user and partner discounting over time
• Support deal desk in carrying out deal profitability analyses and optimizing deal structures
• Work cross-functionally to manage the licensing process, reducing complexity and ensuring customer satisfaction

Your Experience

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or equivalent - advanced degree or qualification (e.g., CPA, MBA) strongly preferred or equivalent military experience 
• 10+ years of finance/managerial experience with progressing responsibilities  
• History of presenting recommendations and getting buy-in from senior executives
• Experience with hardware, supply chain and software business models 
• Exceptional presentation skills, concise and fluent in communication 
• Ability to distill complexity via a methodical and structured approach 

The Team

You have a passion for numbers, our organization has a passion for cybersecurity. You’re looking for a career with a more fulfilling mission. We have open positions to top talent seeking a financial challenge.

Our finance department brings insight to numbers to drive action. Finance builds elegant models and solutions to understand what happened, why it happened and what it means to the future - to empower and guide our business leaders. The ideal candidate has exceptional financial acumen and ability to guide the team in financial modeling, analytics and innovation resulting in finance influence and consulting. Within finance, we seek

people who are looking to try new things, while solving business critical issues with credibility and integrity. If you’re seeking a financial challenge but with a world-wide impact — this is it. 

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 $210,800/yr to $341,000/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  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.