Manager, Consulting Services (sase/ngfw)

Manager, Consulting Services (SASE/NGFW)

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.

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 every day - 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!

Job Description

As a Manager, Consulting Services, you will lead a distributed team of highly experienced customer-facing consultants and engineers to deliver trusted expertise and drive customer outcomes. You will be instrumental in guiding your team to deliver cutting-edge security solutions while ensuring exceptional service quality, all while aligning with our Professional Services organization's strategic business objectives. This pivotal role demands close collaboration with our sales teams and fostering trusted customer relationships that drive successful security outcomes. You'll also champion continuous service improvement and collaborate with peer services teams to significantly enhance our clients' cybersecurity posture.

This is a highly influential position that blends strategic thought leadership, creative problem-solving, and technical credibility to make a tangible difference.

Your Impact

• Serve as the primary liaison for Professional Services, ensuring service delivery exceeds customer expectations through proactive feedback management and corrective actions.
• Champion a customer-first approach across Global Customer Services teams to improve engagement and satisfaction.
• Ensure your team deeply understands customer technical needs and builds lasting, trusted relationships.
• Partner with Sales to provide strategic input during customer negotiations and ensure smooth collaboration throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Drive accurate resource planning and staffing to meet project milestones and quarterly business targets.
• Participate in Quarterly Service Reviews (QSRs), sharing insights and gathering client feedback.
• Provide clear, timely updates on key activities, escalations, and issues to customers and internal teams.
• Build strong partner relationships focused on aligned goals and shared customer success.
• Oversee team utilization, revenue forecasting, and approvals for timesheets and expenses.
• Contribute to the strategic alignment of Professional Services offerings.
• Lead team operations including hiring, career development, mentorship, and training.

Qualifications

Your Experience

• 5+ years of experience leading and building high-performing teams of networking and security technologies such as SASE, Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), and related solutions.
• Demonstrated understanding of technical concepts such as internet security concepts, products, and implementation strategies. You should be able to translate this complex information into clear, understandable terms for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in end-to-end project lifecycle management, from pre-sales engagement and SOW creation through project execution and closeout.
• Strong track record of cross-functional collaboration, partnering with Sales, Product, and Services peers to deliver aligned customer outcomes.
• Recognized for clear, persuasive communication and executive presence, with the ability to influence across all levels of an organization.
• Skilled at translating complex technical concepts for diverse audiences, including executives and non-technical stakeholders.
• Valued industry certifications like CISSP, PMP, or vendor-specific certifications (e.g., Palo Alto Networks certifications) and strong project management skills are a plus.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% for customer engagements and internal business meetings.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical discipline (Computer Science, Information Systems, Electrical Engineering) or comparable professional experience, including military service.