Senior Threat Researcher, Unit 42 (Clearance Required)

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!

This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters.

Job Summary

The Team

Unit 42 brings together world-renowned threat researchers, elite incident responders, and expert security consultants to create an intelligence-driven, response-ready organization that's passionate about helping you proactively manage cyber risk. Our team serves as your trusted advisors to help you assess and test your security controls against the right threats, transform your security strategy with a threat-informed approach, and respond to incidents in record time.

Job Summary

As a Senior Threat Researcher on the Unit 42 National Security (NATSEC) team, you will be embedded within a key customer environment, working with a global team of experts. Your primary mission is to track sophisticated cyber criminals, ransomware groups, and advanced persistent threats. You will leverage world-class data and tools to provide timely, actionable intelligence that directly supports sensitive customer intelligence requirements and national security objectives. While this is a remote position, you must reside within a local commuting distance to Ottawa, Canada, to support on-site requirements.

• Provide timely and actionable intelligence to support sensitive customer intelligence requirements.
• Leverage global datasets, including netflow, malware telemetry, and passive DNS, to track malicious cyber actors, their infrastructure, and campaigns.
• Perform advanced malware analysis using static and dynamic methods, including reverse engineering and interpreting Assembly with disassembly or debugging tools.
• Proactively collaborate and exchange information with a global team of threat intelligence analysts to analyze and develop coverage for emerging threats.
• Develop and deliver strategic threat assessments tailored to specific customer needs and intelligence gaps.
• Communicate effectively with product engineering teams to simplify processes and improve threat detection efficacy across our product ecosystem.

• Must possess an active Canadian Top Secret security clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or 5+ years of direct experience as a cleared threat intelligence analyst.
• Proven experience tracking advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and their campaigns.
• Proficiency in static and dynamic malware analysis techniques and associated tools (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, x64dbg).
• Strong knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK Framework and its application to threat actor TTPs.
• Must reside within a local commuting distance to Ottawa, Canada, to support on-site requirements

• Experience with scripting and programming languages such as Python, C, or C++.
• Working knowledge of data analysis using BigQuery or similar platforms.
• Experience working within a security operations center (SOC), fusion center, or incident response team.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting complex technical findings to diverse audiences.