Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer- C/C++ at Zscaler

About Zscaler

Zscaler is a pioneer and global leader in zero trust security. The world’s largest businesses, critical infrastructure organizations, and government agencies rely on Zscaler to secure users, branches, applications, data & devices, and to accelerate digital transformation initiatives. Distributed across more than 160 data centers globally, the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform combined with advanced AI combats billions of cyber threats and policy violations every day and unlocks productivity gains for modern enterprises by reducing costs and complexity.

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 champion an “AI Forward, People First” philosophy to help us accelerate and innovate, empowering our people to embrace their 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 to help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Role

We are looking for a Sr. Staff Engineer to join our ZPA team. This role is a hybrid position based in our San Jose, CA office, reporting to the Manager, Software Engineering.

You will join the team that built the world’s largest cloud security platform to work on cutting-edge Zero Trust technologies. You will play a pivotal role in enabling organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility through a cloud-first strategy by developing solutions that ensure fast, reliable, and secure access to business-critical applications.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

Design and develop new architectures while extending and optimizing existing throughput-critical forwarding systems and pipelines that guarantee high-speed transit with imperceptible latency

Collaborate across product and operations teams to design, implement, deploy, and monitor systems in production at scale

Proactively identify and resolve hotspots to ensure smooth performance as the user base grows, identifying paths toward operational excellence

Develop and deliver cutting-edge Zero Trust technologies and solutions that ensure fast, reliable, and secure access to business-critical apps

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 experience in C/C++ programming within a distributed and enterprise-scale environment

Deep experience with networking protocols and traffic management technologies, including TCP/IP, HTTP/HTTPS, SSL/TLS, and QUIC

Proven experience diagnosing and resolving network performance issues, such as latency or packet loss, using traffic analysis tools

Strong knowledge of one or more cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP

Familiarity with Kubernetes components and containerization technologies such as Docker or Podman

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

Familiarity with Hashicorp Packer for building and customizing VM images for cloud environments like AWS, Azure, GCP, or VMware ESX

Experience proposing and delivering enhancements to improve system reliability, scalability, and network efficiency

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

$154,000—$220,000 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.

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.

Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer- C/C++

Job Description