Consulting Director, Specialized Services, Proactive Services (Unit 42)

Summary

Join Palo Alto Networks as a Consulting Director and contribute to the development and innovation of cybersecurity consulting services. You will lead and deliver technical and strategic assessments, translate findings into actionable recommendations, and provide deep expertise across various environments. This role involves engaging with clients, identifying their cybersecurity pain points, and crafting solutions using Palo Alto Networks' product platform. You will also lead the practice, develop long-term client relationships, and contribute to the team's growth by designing and delivering enablement content.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience delivering cybersecurity advisory or risk assessments based on industry-accepted frameworks and standards
• Demonstrated delivery experience in one or more of the following: SOC Maturity Assessments, Cloud Security Reviews, AI/ML Model Security Assessments, Application Security Reviews, and Threat Modeling
• Experience advising CISOs and other senior stakeholders on strategic planning, resource prioritization, capability development, and cybersecurity roadmaps
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity domains including network, endpoint, identity, cloud, and AI/ML security principles
• Adept at translating high-level strategic client discussions into detailed proposals and project outcomes
• Hands-on experience with technologies such as SIEM, EDR/XDR, CNAPP, CSPM, IAM, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and cloud-native platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Solid knowledge of emerging threats and attacker TTPs, with the ability to contextualize them into practical assessment and strategy engagements
• Experience advising CISOs and other senior stakeholders on strategic planning, resource prioritization, capability development, and cybersecurity roadmaps
• Proven experience managing diverse teams of business and technical consultants
• Ability to scope new consulting opportunities, including drafting statements of work, proposals, and resource estimates
• Ability to travel as needed to meet business demands (on average 25%)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity, or equivalent professional experience required

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key contributor to the development, maturation, and innovation of SOC, AI Security, and Cloud Security consulting services
• Lead and deliver technical and strategic cybersecurity assessments in areas such as SOC maturity, cloud security, AI/ML model and implementation risks, and application/infrastructure security
• Translate technical findings and observations into clear, actionable business risk implications and strategic recommendations
• Conduct reviews and assessments based on frameworks such as NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, ISO 27001, and other industry standards
• Provide deep subject matter expertise and delivery leadership across a range of environments, including cloud-native, hybrid, and on-premises ecosystems
• Provide strategic guidance on the development of security programs, operations models, threat detection capabilities, and incident readiness
• Drive cross-functional value by integrating the Palo Alto Networks product platform (e.g., Cortex XSIAM, Prisma SASE, Precision AI) into consulting engagements where applicable
• Engage in a pre-sales capacity with client prospects, uncovering cybersecurity pain points across SOC operations, cloud infrastructure, and AI system implementations
• Identify alignment between Unit 42 solutions and customer challenges, crafting and delivering communications that clearly articulate solution value and outcomes
• Support engagement teams in addressing and overcoming deep technical objections that arise throughout the delivery process
• Strengthen the team’s ability to tie recommendations to each client’s unique business processes, strategic initiatives, and risk mitigation objectives
• Lead the practice and invest in developing long-term client relationships that support Unit 42’s goal of becoming a trusted strategic advisor
• Lead the design, development, and delivery of consulting enablement content to grow capabilities across the Unit 42 team
• Partner with Palo Alto Networks product development teams by contributing to feedback loops that support bi-directional communication on product features, delivery impact, and consultant needs in reducing customer risk

Preferred Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional services and consulting experience, with 3+ years in a Director (or equivalent Senior Manager) role leading consulting delivery teams strongly preferred
• Background in scripting, automation, or use of command-line tools in assessments is a plus
• Public speaking, training, and enablement experience is strongly preferred
• 10+ years of experience building, strengthening, and expanding long-term client relationships

Benefits

• 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 $183,000 - $252,000/YR
• The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus
• A description of our employee benefits may be found here