Senior Staff Software Development Engineer

Zscaler

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 Sr. Staff Software Engineer for a hybrid role based in Hyderabad/Bangalore, reporting to the Sr. Director of Software Engineering in the platform convergence department. You will design and build a low-latency, high-throughput data forwarding plane using Rust, leveraging its async/await model for efficient I/O and service-oriented infrastructure. Your work will focus on developing distributed, scalable systems that bridge the gap between control and orchestration layers through fault-tolerant gRPC-based services. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) * Design and build a low-latency, high-throughput data forwarding plane using Rust, leveraging its async/await model for efficient I/O and service-oriented infrastructure * Develop distributed, scalable systems with a focus on concurrency, fault tolerance, and messaging * Implement and maintain gRPC-based APIs and services to integrate forwarding plane capabilities with control and orchestration layers * Optimize system performance through profiling tools across kernel-space and user-space * Engage in code reviews, system design discussions, technical documentation, and mentoring junior engineers 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) * 7+ years of software development experience with extensive coding in Rust, particularly in systems programming and async frameworks like Tokio or async-std * Proven expertise in building resilient, observable, and horizontally scalable distributed systems * Strong understanding of Linux fundamentals, including networking, namespaces, sockets, and kernel-user space interaction * Proficient in container-based environments, Git, CI/CD workflows, and performance instrumentation What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications) * Experience with systems languages like C/C++ or Go, particularly in performance-critical environments * Familiarity with Linux networking stacks, kernel-space technologies (eBPF, XDP, DPDK), bare-metal deployments, and Kubernetes networking * Hands-on experience with gRPC, Protobufs, service-oriented architectures, and L2–L4 networking protocols #LI-Hybrid #LI-SU1 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.

Zscaler

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 Sr. Staff Engineer to join our team. This is a hybrid role based in Bangalore, reporting to the Director, Software Engineering in the Software Engineering department. In this role, you will join the Zero Trust Branch (ZTB) team, focusing on the development of high-performance, low-latency networking and security services. As part of the world’s cloud security leader, you will be at the forefront of shaping the next generation of secure networking by extending our architecture to new features and services. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) * Design and optimize system infrastructure and data paths for high-performance networking and low-latency security applications * Implement and optimize core networking protocols, including NAT, DNS, DHCP, and Policy Enforcement, to ensure enterprise-grade performance * Leverage AI coding assistants and LLMs to optimize code for performance and memory safety while streamlining the development lifecycle through automated testing * Resolve complex system issues by utilizing deep expertise in the Linux kernel, networking features, and file systems * Develop detailed technical specification documents and conduct rigorous unit tests to ensure absolute system quality and reliability 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 * 8+ years of systems engineering experience focused on designing and optimizing infrastructure for high-performance, low-latency applications * Deep technical expertise in core networking protocols including IPsec, BGP, OSPF, and transport layer optimization (TCP/UDP) * Advanced proficiency in Linux internals, systems programming with Python or Golang, and the use of Linux kernel tools * Familiarity with agile methodologies and modern software development lifecycles in a fast-paced environment What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications) * Experience architecting LLM-powered agents or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) frameworks to automate root-cause analysis for complex kernel and networking anomalies * Hands-on experience with Software Defined Networking (SDN), cloud platforms like AWS/Azure, and containerization tools such as Docker or Kubernetes * Strong communication skills with a track record of aligning technical execution with cross-functional product roadmaps #LI-Hybrid #LI-SU1 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.

Zscaler

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 Engineer to lead the architecture, design, and development across the ZPA Segmentation, Policy Engine, Micro Tenant, and Datapath teams. In this highly impactful role, you will own critical components of the Central Authority—including policy evaluation, orchestration, and distribution—alongside datapath enforcement. The ideal candidate brings a deep mastery of C/C++, Linux systems, networking, and high-performance execution. As a technical leader, you will drive architectural vision, mentor engineers, and collaborate across control plane and data plane teams to deliver ultra-low-latency, resilient, and secure access decisions at a global scale. What You'll Do (Key Responsibilities) * Architect & Evolve Core Engines: Lead the architectural design and evolution of core policy engine components tasked with evaluating identity- and context-aware policies and orchestrating seamless distribution to global enforcement points * High-Performance Implementation: Design and implement high-performance, resource-efficient datapath enforcement in C/C++ on Linux, aggressively optimizing for ultra-low latency and maximum throughput * Scalable Distribution: Develop highly resilient, scalable policy and configuration distribution mechanisms and protocols capable of supporting millions of concurrent endpoints and broker instances * Drive Production-Grade Quality: Ensure operational excellence through SLO-aware designs, comprehensive observability (metrics, logs, traces), automated testing, canary/gradual rollouts, and serving as an escalation point for complex distributed incidents * Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with platform, control-plane, and security engineering teams to align on APIs, schemas, and telemetry; lead critical design reviews and drive cross-functional initiatives Who You Are (Success Profile) * You Think at Scale: You connect your day-to-day work to the larger company mission and think globally. You build solutions, processes, and architectures that are not just effective today, but are built to last and support a high-growth organization * You are Driven by Innovation: You possess a deep curiosity for how things work and are energized by solving complex technical hurdles. You believe in the power of technology to accelerate transformation and consistently hunt for more secure, scalable methods * You are a Problem-Solver: You actively seek out engineering challenges because you are energized by finding solutions, knowing that solving the hardest problems delivers the biggest business and customer impact * You are Data-Driven: You lean on data and analytics to uncover engineering truths, measure what matters, and guide informed architectural decisions—replacing "I think" with "I know." * You are a Learner: You have a true growth mindset and never stop developing your technical or leadership skills. You actively seek and implement feedback to become an exceptional collaborator and teammate What We're Looking For (Minimum Qualifications) * Experience: 7+ years of professional software development experience specializing in modern C/C++, Linux systems, and low-level performance engineering * Systems & Architecture: Proven track record of designing, building, and operating highly available, consistent, and partition-tolerant distributed systems (including expertise in replication and rollout strategies) * Networking Mastery: Solid core networking fundamentals including TCP/UDP, TLS/mTLS, DNS, socket I/O, connection management, and L4–L7 policy concepts * Security & Zero Trust: Deep understanding of security principles: authentication/authorization frameworks, identity management, certificates/PKI, least privilege models, and micro-segmentation * Automation & Tooling: High proficiency in Python for building automated test harnesses, CI/CD orchestration, benchmarking, and operational/release tooling * AI Tool Integration: Demonstrated curiosity and active integration of AI/LLM tools into your daily workflow to augment problem-solving and boost productivity What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications) * Deep, practical experience building policy engines, rule evaluators, or custom policy Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) for authorization/segmentation at massive scale * Direct experience implementing robust reliability controls (such as rate limiting, admission control, and backpressure) along with advanced observability setups * Practical AI/ML skills applied directly to production engineering, such as automated telemetry/log analysis, anomaly detection, or advanced incident triage automation #LI-SK3  #LI-HYBRID 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.