Senior Staff Software Development Engineer, ZIA Core Datapath

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 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, 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, 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

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!

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.