Senior Consultant, DFIR, Reactive Services (Unit 42) - Remote

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!

Job Summary

As a client-facing Senior Consultant in Unit 42, you will lead reactive incident response engagements from start to finish. You will work directly with diverse customers and stakeholders, including C-suite executives, to produce key deliverables and guide clients through complex forensic investigations. Your expertise will be crucial in managing the overall engagement process, containing security incidents, and providing actionable remediation plans to enhance client security posture.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end incident response engagements, guiding clients through investigation, containment, and long-term remediation strategies.

• Perform host-based forensic analysis on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X systems to identify Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

• Analyze firewall, web, database, and other log data to uncover evidence of malicious activity and system compromise.

• Utilize advanced forensic tools (e.g., EnCase, FTK, Splunk) to investigate data breaches, determining the root cause and scope of malicious activity.

• Collaborate with clients and internal stakeholders to communicate findings, provide status updates, and deliver comprehensive reports.

• Mentor and empower junior consultants, sharing expertise in incident response and digital forensics best practices.

• Travel as required (approximately 20%) to meet client and business needs for on-site engagement.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Digital Forensics, Cyber Security, or a related field, or equivalent military/professional experience.

• 4+ years of direct experience in incident response or digital forensics.

• Proficiency in host-based forensics, data breach response, and evidence handling procedures.

• Hands-on experience with forensic tools such as EnCase, FTK, X-Ways, SIFT, Splunk, Volatility, or similar technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in a client-facing incident response consulting role.

• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate complex technical findings to C-level stakeholders.

• Demonstrated external presence through public speaking, conference presentations, or industry publications.

• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships with internal teams, external partners, and clients.

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. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

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.