Senior Staff Software Development Engineer, ZIA Core Datapath

About the role

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 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites 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 Senior Staff Software Development Engineer, ZIA Core Datapath to join our team. This is a hybrid (3 days per week in San Jose, CA office) role, reporting to the Sr Manager, Software Engineering, QA in the ZIA Engineering team.

In this role you will own the architecture, development, and maintenance of a high-scale system test automation infrastructure for ZIA Core Datapath, a cloud security platform processing 400B+ transactions daily. You will build repeatable automation suites for L4-L7 technologies, validate cloud firewall and tunneling stacks, diagnose customer issues, and mentor engineers while driving continuous regression optimization.

What you'll do (Role Expectations)

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams during design, development, and maintenance of cloud-based software solutions
• Architect, design, develop, and maintain a scalable system test automation infrastructure for a cloud product processing 400B+ transactions per day
• Build repeatable automation suites to validate L4-L7 technologies, including cloud firewall, IPsec/GRE tunneling, load balancers, IPS/IDS, and routing/switching
• Act as an owner and advocate for testing at scale, pushing the limits of the software under test through proficient coding methodologies and strong debugging/troubleshooting
• Mentor and guide junior engineers, take full ownership of features, and continuously optimize the regression cycle

Who You Are (Success Profile)

• You are a pragmatic builder obsessed with creating, iterating, and shipping, balancing technical excellence with the need to deliver value to users quickly.
• You act like an owner with a deep passion for the mission, operating with integrity and seamlessly navigating between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
• You are driven by innovation and technical curiosity, continuously energized by solving complex challenges and finding scalable, secure solutions.
• You operate with urgency and a bias for action, understanding that speed and quality go hand in hand to deliver high-impact results.
• You are a high-trust collaborator who thrives on open feedback and clarity, driving collective success and building strong team alignment.

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
• 12+ years of overall experience with strong programming skills in building test automation frameworks in Python
• Solid understanding of the TCP/IP protocol stack, HTTP(S), TLS, PKI, DNS, DHCP, VPN, HA, routing and switching, and tunneling methods such as IPsec/GRE
• Strong background in L3, L4, and L7 filtering policies, with hands-on exposure to load balancers, IPS/IDS, and routers
• Proven experience in manual and automated functional, integration, performance, and scale testing for cloud security/SaaS products, including test plan and test case creation
• Excellent debugging/troubleshooting skills to diagnose and resolve complex network infrastructure, HTTP/SSL, and firewall issues in customer environments

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience leveraging AI-assisted coding, static/dynamic analysis, or intelligent automation tools to improve test coverage and engineering productivity
• Hands-on experience with traffic generators, performance/load testing tools, and fuzzing techniques
• Track record of mentoring junior engineers and leading large-scale test automation or quality initiatives for distributed cloud systems

#LI-KM9 #LI-Hybrid

Pay and benefits

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 $157,500—$225,000 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!

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

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.