Staff Automation Engineer

Staff Automation Engineer

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
Alto

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Design and maintain robust software delivery pipelines for secure workload access solutions.
  • Company: Join Palo Alto Networks, a leader in cybersecurity innovation and collaboration.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Diverse teams are essential; we celebrate inclusivity and provide reasonable accommodations.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in cybersecurity while working with cutting-edge technology.
  • Qualifications: Experience in DevOps tooling, automation, and a passion for enhancing developer experiences.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

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 what our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into 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 Our team builds and provides CyberArk’s Secure Workload Access solution. The team’s mission is to solve workload identity and authentication problems our customers face, and to secure workload communication while practicing the highest security standards and providing the best possible user experience. We are seeking a Staff Automation Engineer to treat the software release lifecycle as a first‑class product. In this role, you will move beyond basic automation to architect a resilient, high‑velocity delivery ecosystem. By engineering the end‑to‑end lifecycle for diverse components—including SDKs, Terraform providers, installable software, and cloud services—you will ensure our deployment pipeline is seamless, scalable, and fortified by the highest security standards. You will also be responsible for maintaining and automating the underlying infrastructure to enable testing.

Responsibilities:

  • Design, build and maintain pipelines for testing and shipping our software, involving multiple steps and complex dependencies.
  • Maintain the test infrastructure underlying these pipelines with DevOps tooling, involving third‑party dependencies, test environments with multiple versions of platforms we support, cloud accounts, and more.
  • Work with the development team to build a great developer experience, with ad‑hoc environments for manual testing, easily debuggable pipelines and more.
  • Monitor test pipelines and triage issues, passing off to the developers when it’s a real problem.
  • Provide feedback on the product to make it better for our users as well as making it more testable and debuggable for us.
  • Analyze pipeline bottlenecks and “flaky” deployment steps, relentlessly optimizing for speed without sacrificing security and reliability.

Qualifications:

  • Extensive experience with DevOps tooling and automation, including Terraform, Jenkins, AWS, GitOps and other tools.
  • Some experience with programming/scripting.
  • Motivated by providing a great developer experience.
  • A track record of working in a highly collaborative way.
  • Sharp debugging skills, using a methodical approach to isolate issues within a highly complex environment.
  • Experience working with monitoring tools such as Datadog, knowing both how to build good dashboards and also ad‑hoc techniques to isolate issues.
  • Preferably experience with supply chain security practices such as vulnerability scanning and code signing.

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.

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.

Staff Automation Engineer employer: Alto

At Palo Alto Networks, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic work environment where innovation meets collaboration. As a Staff Automation Engineer, you'll be part of a team that values your voice and ideas, while working in a culture that prioritises integrity and inclusion. With opportunities for professional growth and a commitment to cutting-edge technology, you will not only contribute to meaningful projects but also thrive in a supportive atmosphere that encourages real-time problem-solving and strong relationships.

Alto

Contact Details:

Alto Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Staff Automation Engineer

Get Involved in Local Automation Meetups

We can’t stress this enough – getting your face out there in the automation and control systems community can really set you apart. Look for local meetups or workshops where you can chat with industry professionals, learn about what’s trending, and even discover hidden job gems. Who knows, you might meet someone from a company like Alto!

Show Off Your Projects

Make sure you have a portfolio of your work ready to roll. Whether it’s academic projects, internships or personal experiments, showcase how you’ve tackled automation challenges. When you apply for the Staff Automation Engineer position at Alto, linking your portfolio gives your application that extra oomph and demonstrates your practical knowledge.

Leverage Your Uni Career Services

If you’re fresh out of uni, don’t forget about your career services! Many universities have established connections with companies in the automation field. They may know when Alto is looking for fresh talent or even have internships that lead to full-time positions. So, hit them up!

Keep an Eye on Industry Certifications

While hunting for roles, consider getting certified in relevant automation technologies. It shows dedication and gives you a leg up in the job market. Plus, many organisations offer job boards or networking events to certified professionals. This might just lead you to that coveted Staff Automation Engineer role at Alto!

We think you need these skills to ace Staff Automation Engineer

DevOps Tooling
Terraform
Jenkins
AWS
GitOps
Programming/Scripting
Debugging Skills

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for an automation-control-systems role, it’s crucial to highlight your technical skills. Whether it's your proficiency in programming languages like Python or understanding control systems, make sure your CV showcases these prominently. Don't forget to mention any specific software or tools you're experienced with – that’s music to the ears of hiring managers!

Tailor Your Projects to Automation:If you've worked on any relevant projects, especially those involving automation or control systems, make them stand out in your CV. Use a dedicated section to highlight these projects, explaining your role and the impact of your contributions. This could be the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine, so tell us why you’re passionate about automation-control-systems! Discuss specific experiences that sparked your interest in this field. Maybe it's a university project or a previous job that truly got you hooked. We love seeing that spark! Make sure to reference how you can contribute to Alto and its goals.

Quantify Your Achievements:In the world of automation, results matter. When listing your experiences, quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you improve system efficiency by a percentage? Did you reduce downtime? Putting numbers to your successes not only demonstrates your impact but also lets us see the tangible outcomes of your efforts. It makes your application pop!

How to prepare for a job interview at Alto

Master Your Technical Knowledge

In the automation control systems field, you need to brush up on your technical know-how. Be prepared to talk about specific control systems you’ve worked with, such as PLCs or SCADA systems, and expect technical questions or even hands-on problem-solving scenarios during the interview.

Showcase Your Projects

Whether it's freelance projects or your academic work, come ready to showcase your portfolio of automation projects. Bring along any diagrams, code samples, or automation solutions you’ve implemented—these can really set you apart and demonstrate your applied skills to Alto.

Understand Industry Trends

Stay updated on the latest trends in automation technologies and methodologies, like Industry 4.0 or IIoT. We'll want to discuss how these concepts may affect the role and future projects at Alto, so showing that you're knowledgeable about current and emerging technologies can give you an edge.

Commit to Continuous Learning

As this is a full-time role, it's essential to express your eagerness for continuous improvement and learning. Share how you plan to enhance your skills and keep pace with the evolution of automation in the workforce – companies love candidates who are committed to growth and adaptability.