SEM Strategist

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! 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 We are looking for a curious and highly analytical SEM Strategist to help lead and evolve our paid search programs across Palo Alto Networks’ global cybersecurity portfolio. This role sits within the Global Digital Marketing team and plays a key part in capturing high-intent demand and translating search visibility into measurable business outcomes including pipeline and revenue. The SEM Strategist will own and drive search strategy across priority solutions and regional markets, working closely with global campaigns, field marketing, product marketing, analytics, and agency partners to ensure search programs align with business objectives and buying group engagement. This role requires someone who views search as a strategic growth channel, not just a media tactic. The ideal candidate combines hands-on platform expertise with strong business acumen and curiosity to continuously test, innovate, and evolve search programs in response to changing market dynamics, including the rapid evolution of AI-driven search experiences (AIO / generative search). You will help ensure Palo Alto Networks stays ahead of changes in how buyers discover, research, and evaluate cybersecurity solutions in search environments. Your Impact Own and Evolve Search Strategy Develop and execute regional search strategies across platforms including Google Ads, Microsoft Ads (Bing), Naver, and Yahoo Japan to drive high-intent demand capture aligned with business priorities. Ensure campaigns are structured to support global growth objectives while accounting for regional search behaviors, language nuances, and market dynamics across JAPAC. Drive Business Outcomes from Search Connect search performance to real business outcomes including pipeline, opportunity creation, and revenue influence. Translate campaign insights into recommendations that improve demand capture, lead quality, and overall marketing effectiveness—not just media performance metrics. Campaign Execution & Optimization Build, launch, and manage paid search campaigns across multiple markets while continuously optimizing campaign structures, bidding strategies, targeting, and messaging to improve performance and efficiency. Work directly within advertising platforms to implement optimizations and scale successful strategies. Data-Driven Insights & Market Intelligence Analyze campaign performance data to uncover trends, keyword opportunities, competitive insights, and demand signals. Translate findings into clear recommendations that influence both search investment strategy and broader marketing initiatives. Influence Content & Creative Strategy Leverage search insights to inform content development, messaging, and landing page strategy, helping ensure that high-intent queries are matched with relevant experiences that move buyers further along the decision journey. Partner with content, SEO, and web teams to improve search visibility and engagement across key product and solution categories. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner closely with Product Marketing, Global Campaigns, Field Marketing, and Sales teams to ensure search programs align with product launches, regional demand generation priorities, and integrated marketing campaigns. Serve as the search subject matter expert in cross-functional conversations. Agency & Stakeholder Management Collaborate with external agency partners and internal marketing teams to ensure strong execution, alignment with strategy, and continuous performance improvement. Influence stakeholders and represent the search function in regional discussions when needed. Testing, Innovation & Continuous Learning Continuously test new approaches across bidding strategies, keyword expansion, audience targeting, ad creative, and landing page experiences. Stay ahead of evolving search trends including AI-driven search results, AIO experiences, automation, and changing buyer research behaviors, ensuring Palo Alto Networks adapts quickly to new opportunities. Reporting & Strategic Insights Develop performance summaries and strategic insights for weekly and monthly reporting, highlighting trends, opportunities, and recommendations that support marketing and business goals. Provide clear insights that help leadership understand how search contributes to broader growth initiatives. Qualifications Your Experience 6+ years of digital marketing experience with at least 4+ years managing Search Engine Marketing (SEM/PPC) programs in a B2B technology environment (SaaS or cybersecurity preferred). Search Platform Expertise Hands-on experience managing campaigns in Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising (Bing). Experience with regional platforms such as Naver or Yahoo Japan is a plus. Search Ads 360 Experience Experience using Google Search Ads 360 (SA360) for campaign management, bid strategy optimization, budget pacing, and performance reporting. Business & Analytical Mindset Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate performance data into actionable insights that drive business outcomes. Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets (pivot tables, data analysis, reporting) required. Analytics & Measurement Experience working with analytics platforms such as Adobe Analytics, Tableau, or Google Analytics to interpret performance data and connect marketing metrics to pipeline and revenue outcomes. Global Campaign Experience Experience supporting search campaigns across multiple regions (NAMS, EMEA, JAPAC) with an understanding of localization, regional search behavior, and market nuance. AI & Automation Mindset Comfortable leveraging AI tools, automation platforms, and emerging search technologies to streamline workflows, improve reporting, and identify new optimization opportunities as search continues to evolve. Collaboration & Communication Strong communication skills with the ability to present performance insights and strategic recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders and agency partners. Curiosity & Innovation A curious mindset with a desire to challenge conventional approaches and continuously experiment with new strategies that improve performance and business impact. Self-Starter Highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple campaigns, markets, and priorities in a fast-paced environment. 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.