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Zscaler is seeking a Principal AI Research Engineer to join the AI & Data Protection team, reporting to the EVP of AI Security and Strategic Initiatives. This hybrid role (based in San Jose, CA) positions you as the primary architect of Zscaler's AI ecosystem, bridging the Zero Trust Exchange platform with the rapidly evolving landscape of large language models, GPU infrastructure, and AI application frameworks.
You will define Zscaler's AI ecosystem strategy by leading the vision for integrations with frontier model providers, vector database companies, and AI infrastructure leaders. You'll own the "Secure AI" roadmap, managing the full lifecycle of features that enable safe third-party LLM usage and prevent data leakage. A key responsibility is building a thriving developer ecosystem by defining and launching APIs, SDKs, and integration patterns for Zero Trust-native applications. You'll also drive market leadership and cross-functional partnerships to translate complex technical integrations into high-growth go-to-market motions.
The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of technical leadership or engineering partnership experience with a proven track record of building impactful industry relationships. You need deep technical fluency across the AI lifecycle—training vs. inference, GPU roles, context windows, and RAG architectures. First-principles thinking applied to security and networking challenges in enterprise LLM deployment is essential. You operate with a strong bias for action, embracing a "Ship Early, Iterate Fast" mentality focused on delivering high-value MVPs. Preferred qualifications include a proven track record building developer and partner ecosystems at scale and deep understanding of the broader AI infrastructure landscape.
Zscaler positions itself as an AI-forward enterprise leveraging the world's largest security data lake to power its cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform. The company culture emphasizes impact over activity, constructive debate, customer obsession, collaboration, ownership, and accountability. You'll thrive in ambiguity, act as an owner, solve hard problems, collaborate at high trust, and maintain a growth mindset.
