Staff Software Development Engineer

Zscaler

Remote

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 160+ public exchanges globally and thousands of private exchanges at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.

We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler.

Role

We are looking for a Staff Engineer to join our team. This is a Hybrid role, reporting to the Senior Manager, Software Engineering in the Federal and Sovereign Clouds department. As a passionate engineer you will work with a team of cloud architects in building scalable, high performance backend applications for our cloud engineering org. You will play a pivotal role in enhancing our multitenant architecture and global footprint for the world’s largest cloud security platform.

What You’ll Do (Role Expectations)

Designing and implementing scalable, high-performance backend services and APIs
Ensuring code quality by writing and maintaining unit, integration, and performance tests; monitor, debug, and optimize system performance
Mentoring junior engineers, fostering their growth, and upholding best practices through active participation in code reviews
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated solutions and contribute to Agile/Scrum processes like sprint planning and retrospectives
Participating in on-call rotation to support a highly available engineering platform and ensure compliance with federal guidelines

Who You Are (Success Profile)

You thrive in ambiguity. You're comfortable building the path as you walk it. You thrive in a dynamic environment, seeing ambiguity not as a hindrance, but as the raw material to build something meaningful.
You act like an owner. Your passion for the mission fuels your bias for action. You operate with integrity because you genuinely care about the outcome. True ownership involves leveraging dynamic range: the ability to navigate seamlessly between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
You are a problem-solver. You love running towards the challenges because you are laser-focused on finding the solution, knowing that solving the hard problems delivers the biggest impact.
You are a high-trust collaborator. You are ambitious for the team, not just yourself. You embrace our challenge culture by giving and receiving ongoing feedback—knowing that candor delivered with clarity and respect is the truest form of teamwork and the fastest way to earn trust.
You are a learner. You have a true growth mindset and are obsessed with your own development, actively seeking feedback to become a better partner and a stronger teammate. You love what you do and you do it with purpose.

What We’re Looking For (Minimum Qualifications)

Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes within your functional domain
5+ years of experience with proficiency coding in Java / Golang or similar
Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and one or more major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
Expertise in designing and maintaining large-scale distributed systems with strong fundamentals of scaling, availability and design trade offs
Exceptional problem-solving skills for creating robust solutions and resolving complex issues with root cause analysis

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

Experience leveraging LLMs or AI code-assistance platforms to accelerate distributed systems development, code refactoring, and automated testing pipelines
Strong understanding of DevOps automation workflows and CI/CD pipelines
Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, make high-impact technical decisions, and deliver results with minimal oversight

At Zscaler, we are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve and the customers we work with. We foster an inclusive environment that values all backgrounds and perspectives, emphasizing collaboration and belonging. Join us in our mission to make doing business seamless and secure.

Benefits

Our Benefits program is one of the most important ways we support our employees. Zscaler proudly offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families throughout their life stages, including:

Various health plans
Time off plans for vacation and sick time
Parental leave options
Retirement options
Education reimbursement
In-office perks, and more!

Learn more about Zscaler's hybrid working model and benefits here.

By applying for this role, you adhere to applicable laws, regulations, and Zscaler policies, including those related to security and privacy standards and guidelines.

Zscaler is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We strive to create a workplace where employees are treated with respect and have the chance to succeed. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy or related medical conditions), age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. See more information by clicking on the Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal link.

Pay Transparency

Zscaler complies with all applicable federal, state, and local pay transparency rules.

Zscaler is committed to providing reasonable support (called accommodations or adjustments) in our recruiting processes for candidates who are differently abled, have long term conditions, mental health conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs, or who are neurodivergent or require pregnancy-related support.