Staff Software Development Engineer

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 Staff Software Development Engineer to join our team. This is a hybrid role based in Bangalore, reporting to the Director of Engineering.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Lead ZCC feature design and hands-on C++ implementation on Linux environment.
• Take full technical ownership of complex projects, from concept to deployment.
• Elevate code quality and enforce best practices to ensure a robust, efficient, and secure client.
• Process packets at both ingress and egress points at very high speed so that clients using the system do not perceive any increased latencies.
• Work cross-functionally with the Quality Assurance team to test the work product, and influence the testing to make the product ready for deployment.

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.
• 5+ years of experience developing enterprise applications with distributed systems background.
• Strong C/C++ programming, Data structures/Algorithms & debugging skills in a cloud environment.
• Deep understanding of Operating System principles and OS like Linux/Unix.
• Extensive network programming experience (TCP/IP, HTTP/S, DNS, proxy) with knowledge of kernel-mode networking or NDIS drivers.

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience implementing AIOps, AI-driven predictive scaling, or automated anomaly detection to optimize cloud infrastructure performance and reliability.
• Understanding of cybersecurity principles, encryption (PKI, TLS/SSL), authentication, endpoint agents, and anti-tampering.
• Experience in Network Data Path & Socket programming & POSIX Multi-thread programming.

Benefits

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.

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!