Director, Deals Desk

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

To be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. Our employees live this daily, guided by the values of 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. Collaboration thrives in person, so most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when needed, supporting real‑time problem‑solving, stronger relationships, and precise outcomes.

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced Director, Deal Desk to oversee the commercial deal structure and governance for our North American region. This role is responsible for the oversight of complex, high‑value transactions, ensuring they align with corporate financial objectives and requirements. You will serve as a bridge between Sales and Finance leadership and partner with many internal functions such as Legal, Revenue, Product, and Operations to ensure consistent commercial execution and predictable revenue outcomes. You will build and scale a high‑performing team, define deal approval policies and governance, and accelerate complex deal cycles while maintaining risk control and profitability.

Your Impact

• Commercial Oversight: Act as the senior authority for North American deal structuring, develop region‑specific pricing and discount strategies that align with NAM market dynamics, competitive landscape, and the company's long‑term financial objectives.
• Financial Analysis & Risk Management: Provide sophisticated financial modeling and analysis for sales proposals, assessing the impact of deal terms (e.g., pricing, payment schedules, volume commitments) on Gross Margin, ARR, and RPO. Deliver executive‑level reporting on margin health, deal economics, and long‑term commercial viability.
• Policy Governance: Define and enforce global commercial policies. Serve as an authority on non‑standard pricing and contractual deviations, ensuring all commercial agreements adhere to US GAAP and company revenue recognition policies.
• Cross‑Functional Management: Facilitate and lead alignment meetings with cross‑functional teams, acting as the central point for identifying, understanding, and resolving risks and roadblocks throughout the deal lifecycle. Collaborate with Finance/Revenue Ops on revenue recognition, forecasting, margin analysis, and deal economics. Work with Legal to standardize terms, review redlines, and manage risk trade‑offs.
• Process and Operational Transformation: Identify process and system bottlenecks hindering deal velocity, work with system teams on the ongoing development of our CPQ (Salesforce) ecosystem, and create rapid process improvements to increase sales velocity and high‑volume growth.
• Trusted Advisor: Serve as a strategic partner to Sales leadership, providing objective analysis of discounting trends and competitive pricing structures, and crafting win‑win deal structures for customers and Palo Alto Networks.
• Team Leadership and Development: Manage and mentor a high‑performing Deal Desk team, fostering expertise in commercial finance, deal structuring, and North American market knowledge.

Qualifications

• Required Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in Finance, FP&A, or Sales Finance, with a minimum of 5 years leading a Deal Desk or Commercial Finance function.
• Leadership: Proven experience supporting a sales organization and influencing senior sales leaders (VP, SVP level). Strong understanding of US and Canadian business environments and contracting nuances.
• Financial Acumen: Expert‑level financial modeling and analytical skills focused on revenue, gross margin, and working‑capital impacts of commercial terms. Deep knowledge of US GAAP and revenue recognition principles (e.g., ASC 606).
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related quantitative field. MBA or CPA highly preferred.
• Preferred Experience:
  • Technical Proficiency: Extensive experience with Salesforce and CPQ systems.
  • Negotiation & Contractual Expertise: Direct support of field sales in active customer negotiations and management of complex deal terms.
  • Analytical Skills: Ability to translate complex data analytics into executive‑level strategy recommendations.

Compensation

The compensation offered 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/commissioned roles) is expected to be in the range of $214,200.00 – $294,000.00 per year. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits is available on the company website.

Our Commitment

We are trailblazers who dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. Our mission cannot be achieved without diverse teams innovating together. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability; please contact accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com for assistance. Palo Alto Networks is an equal‑opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and consider all qualified applicants 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 any other legally protected characteristic. This role is not eligible for immigration sponsorship; we will not sponsor work visas for this position.