Director, Finance - Network Security FP&A - job 2 of 3

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.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Your Career

Palo Alto Networks is looking for an experienced finance leader to provide decision support as the  Director, Finance - Network Security FP&A. 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 both short and long-term topline planning as well as R&D and DevOps headcount and expense planning.  As the industry transitions from on-prem to Cloud, it is important that we understand the customer buying patterns to ensure the path to sustainable growth.  These purchasing motions together inform the true ARR for the company.  The leader for this organization will work closely with executives in Product, GTM, Strategy, Corp FP&A, etc up to the SVP level.  The role will help to set the strategy, define pricing, upsell and expansion efforts, etc. We need someone with financial gravitas to influence business leaders, synthesize key messaging, and the ability to continue to develop a strong team.   

Your Impact

• Interact with the senior leadership team to determine how to sustain growth, and monitor leading indicators of performance 

• Ensure depth of understanding across the Network Security portfolio 

• Build and develop a high-performing team demonstrating a ‘CFO Mindset’ while fostering a culture of growth, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking

• 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

• Maintain business ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) forecast models connecting TCV (Total Contract Value) bookings projections to ARR.

• Work cross-functionally to ensure effective end-to-end processes within the Network Security team, with Regional teams and with Corporate FP&A.

Your Experience

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or equivalent; advanced degree or qualification (e.g., CPA, MBA) strongly preferred.

• 8+ years of finance/managerial experience with progressing responsibilities  

• History of presenting recommendations and getting buy-in from senior executives

• Experience with SaaS 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. 

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/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $203000 - $279500/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  [email protected].

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.