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Salary: USD 185,500 - 265,000 / annual
Zscaler is seeking a Principal Software Development Engineer to join the control-plane engineering team. This is a hybrid role based in Santa Clara, CA (minimum 3 days per week in office), reporting to the Director of Software Development Engineering.
You will play a pivotal role in evolving Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange platform architecture to meet the demands of a rapidly growing user base. The Zero Trust Exchange is a SASE-based cloud security platform distributed across 160+ public exchanges globally, protecting thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss.
Key responsibilities include:
- Define software design specifications and implement bug-free code using test-driven methodology and modern AI-based coding tools
- Design, develop, and optimize the control-plane system, including networking and security features, to support high-performance applications
- Perform unit testing and automation to ensure quality and apply strong software design principles to deliver scalable, resilient improvements
- Work directly with Engineering Architects, Product Managers, Customers, and Solution Architects to understand use cases, review PRDs, and resolve system-related issues
- Coach and mentor junior team members to ensure the highest level of quality deliverables
You should thrive in ambiguity, act as an owner with a bias for action, and be a high-trust collaborator who embraces a challenge culture. The ideal candidate is a problem-solver with a growth mindset and genuine passion for solving hard problems that deliver impact.
Requirements:
- 12+ years of experience designing and building large-scale, highly reliable, and scalable software systems, preferably in Python and/or Go
- Strong hands-on experience with public cloud infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure
- Deep understanding of cloud networking concepts and services, including Transit Gateway, Internet Gateway, NAT Gateway, NACLs, security groups, GWLB, ILB, Route 53, and Azure DNS
- Foundational knowledge of AI/ML technologies, with experience applying, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions
- Strong software design, profiling, and verification skills, with exposure to optimizing systems for scale and performance
Preferred qualifications:
- Strong experience designing and building distributed systems and SaaS platforms with proven ability to develop highly available, resilient, and scalable services in production
- Deep understanding of firewalls, network security principles, and core networking protocols
- Hands-on familiarity with architecting and building Firewall-as-a-Service solutions on AWS, GCP, and Azure
