Demo

Staff Software Development Engineer

Zscaler
San Jose, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 11/28/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 1/22/2026
About Zscaler

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation so our customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. Our cloud native Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of 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 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 make a positive difference on a global scale, we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler and help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Our Engineering team built the world’s largest cloud security platform from the ground up, and we keep building. With more than 100 patents and big plans for enhancing services and increasing our global footprint, the team has made us and our multitenant architecture today's cloud security leader, with more than 15 million users in 185 countries. Bring your vision and passion to our team of cloud architects, software engineers, security experts, and more who are enabling organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy.

Responsibilities

We're looking for an experienced Staff Development Engineer to join our team.This role is hybrid and based in our San Jose, CA office three days a week. Reporting to the Director, Software Engineering, you'll be responsible for:

  • Designing, developing, and optimizing the system, including networking and security features, to support high-performance applications
  • Ensuring federal certifications such as FIPS, FedRAMP, Common Criteria, and SOC2 compliance
  • Creating design and functional specification documents while performing unit testing and automation to ensure quality
  • Collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify and resolve system-related issues, optimize system performance, and innovate features to expand system capabilities
  • Applying strong software design principles to deliver reliable, scalable, and impactful product improvements


What We’re Looking For (Minimum Qualifications)

  • Bachelor's or Master's (preferred) degree in Computer Science or a related field, with 6 years of experience in system engineering focused on designing and optimizing system infrastructure for high-performance networking and security applications
  • Expertise in Linux kernel-based networking (L2/L3), Stateful Firewall, Network drivers, QoS, Traffic management, and protocols like VLANs, DHCP, DNS, Tunneling (IPSec, Wireguard, GRE), TLS, and DTLS
  • Proficiency in C and Python programming languages, with excellent problem-solving skills for debugging complex data path issues efficiently
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams
  • Solid understanding of high-performance networking, security infrastructure, and the technical skills required for efficient and scalable systems design


What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

  • Experience in user space data path technologies such as VPP, DPDK, SR-IOV, NFV, and SDN, along with certifications like FIPS, FedRAMP, Common Criteria, and SOC2 is desired
  • Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) is desired
  • Expertise in advanced networking, virtualization, and security solutions is preferred


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

$148,000 - $185,000 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.

Benefits

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 Future of Work strategy, 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.

Salary : $148,000 - $185,000

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