Principal Software Development Engineer

About Zscaler

Serving thousands of enterprise customers around the world including 45% of Fortune 500 companies, Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) was founded in 2007 with a mission to make the cloud a safe place to do business and a more enjoyable experience for enterprise users. As the operator of the world’s largest security cloud, Zscaler accelerates digital transformation so enterprises can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The pioneering, AI-powered Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform, which is found in our SASE and SSE offerings, protects thousands of enterprise customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location.

Named a Best Workplace in Technology by Fortune and others, Zscaler fosters an inclusive and supportive culture that is home to some of the brightest minds in the industry. If you thrive in an environment that is fast-paced and collaborative, and you are passionate about building and innovating for the greater good, come make your next move with Zscaler. 

Our Engineering team built the world’s largest cloud security platform from the ground up, and we keep building. With more than 100 patents and big plans for enhancing services and increasing our global footprint, the team has made us and our multitenant architecture today's cloud security leader, with more than 15 million users in 185 countries. Bring your vision and passion to our team of cloud architects, software engineers, security experts, and more who are enabling organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy.

We are hiring a Principal Software Development Engineer to join our Central Authority team. You will work on the control plane for the Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) product, which has redefined how security services are delivered in the cloud. You bring an understanding of security protocols and services. Reporting to the Sr. Director, Application Engineering - Central Authority, you will:

• Practice technical leadership in design, development, and optimization of control path features in Cloud Infrastructure
• Define and execute the technical roadmap ensuring alignment with business goals
• Develop and own components of a large-scale distributed system with a sense for scalability
• Use AI-powered tools for advanced problem solving and engineering efficiency
• Mentor other engineers

What We’re Looking for (Minimum Qualifications) 

• 12+ years of experience in C programming along with proven experience in Go or Rust; Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Engineering/Computer Science 
• Strong knowledge of networking protocols and services like DNS, HTTP, TCP/IP, SSL/TLS. Strong knowledge of authentication protocols like LDAP, SAML, OAuth
• Strong knowledge of FreeBSD or Linux systems internals
• Strong fundamentals: high-performance computing, distributed systems, event-based programming, memory optimization, fault tolerance
• Strong software design, profiling, and verification skills along with proficiency in design/code reviews and writing automated unit and integration tests

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience in cloud computing with AWS, GCP, or other cloud providers, and containerization using Docker and Kubernetes
• Advanced knowledge of PostgreSQL 
• Experience with YugabyteDB and/or CockroachDB

#LI-Hybrid

#LI-KM9

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$182,000—$260,000 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!

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