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Staff Software Development Engineer

San Jose, California, USA

About Zscaler

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation to ensure our customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. As an AI-forward enterprise, we are constantly pushing the envelope, leveraging the world’s largest security data lake to power our cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform. This innovation protects our customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location.

Here, impact in your role matters more than title and trust is built on results. We say, impact over activity. We seek innovators who actively use AI to amplify their impact and who thrive in an environment where we leverage intelligent systems to stay ahead of evolving threats. We believe in transparency and value constructive, honest debate—we’re focused on getting to the best ideas, faster. We build high-performing teams that can make an impact quickly and with high quality. To do this, we are building a culture of execution centered on customer obsession, collaboration, ownership, and accountability.

We value high-impact, high-accountability with a sense of urgency where you’re enabled to do your best work and embrace your potential. If you’re driven by purpose, thrive on solving complex challenges, and want to be part of the team that’s helping to secure the AI age, we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler and help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Role 

We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer - AI Security to join our team. This is a Hybrid role based in San Jose, CA, reporting to the Director, Software Engineering  in the Engineering department. We are building security products that enable organizations to adopt AI applications and agents safely and at scale. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will take ownership of complex engineering challenges, build secure and scalable systems, and raise the technical bar through hands-on execution and collaboration.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

  • Define technical direction and architecture for major areas of the product
  • Lead high-impact initiatives that span multiple teams and system boundaries
  • Turn ambiguous product and security challenges into clear, executable engineering strategies
  • Establish standards for secure, reliable, scalable, and maintainable systems
  • Identify systemic risks, architectural gaps, and investments needed for long-term growth

Who You Are (Success Profile)

  • You thrive in ambiguity. You build the path as you walk it, viewing ambiguity not as a hindrance but as raw material to create impactful solutions.
  • You act like an owner. Your passion for the mission fuels your bias for action, seamlessly navigating between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
  • You are a problem-solver. You are energized by complex challenges and finding elegant solutions that deliver maximum value.
  • You are a high-trust collaborator. You build strong relationships through clear feedback, respect, and a commitment to team success.
  • You are driven by innovation. You possess a deep curiosity for how systems work and are energized by solving technical challenges at the cutting edge of AI security.

What We’re Looking for (Minimum Qualifications)

  • Demonstrated curiosity and active exploration of AI tools, with a proven history of integrating new technologies to enhance daily workflows and augment problem-solving
  • 5+ years of software-engineering experience, including technical leadership across complex production systems
  • Strong proficiency in Go, Rust, and Python, with deep expertise in systems engineering, security engineering, and backend platforms
  • Demonstrated experience architecting and evolving platforms that span multiple teams or product areas
  • Proven ability to remain hands-on through coding, prototyping, design review, and complex debugging
  • Deep understanding of concurrency, networking, storage, APIs, data systems, and cloud infrastructure on AWS, GCP, or Azure

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

  • Experience building enterprise security, endpoint, cloud, or infrastructure products
  • Familiarity with AI/ML systems, analytics platforms, AI applications, or AI security
  • Experience helping a startup or high-growth product evolve into a scalable engineering organization

#LI-YC2 #LI-Hybrid

Zscaler’s salary ranges are benchmarked and are determined by role and level. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations and could be higher or lower based on a multitude of factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

The base salary range listed for this full-time position excludes commission/ bonus/ equity (if applicable) + benefits.

Base Pay Range

$152,000 - $190,000 USD

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.

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.

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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.

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