Sr. Staff Platform Engineer 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 Platform Engineer to join our team in Bellevue, WA (3 days in office), reporting to the Sr. Director, Software Development Engineering in the Zero Trust Exchange department. In this role, you will design scalable, high-performance backend services and APIs while mentoring junior engineers and ensuring system reliability within a highly available engineering platform.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

Designing and implementing scalable, high-performance backend services and APIs

Ensuring code quality by writing and maintaining unit, integration, and performance tests; monitor, debug, and optimize system performance

Mentoring junior engineers, fostering their growth, and upholding best practices through active participation in code reviews

Collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated solutions and contribute to Agile/Scrum processes like sprint planning and retrospectives

Participating in on-call rotation to support a highly available engineering platform and ensure compliance with federal guidelines

Who You Are (Success Profile)

You thrive in ambiguity, are comfortable building the path as you walk it, and see ambiguity not as a hindrance but as the raw material to build something meaningful.

You act like an owner, operate with integrity, adapt to what’s needed, and navigate seamlessly between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.

You are a problem-solver who seeks out challenges and is energized by finding solutions, knowing that solving the hard problems delivers the biggest impact.

You are customer-obsessed, build deep empathy for internal and external customers, and anchor your decisions in solving their real-world problems.

You operate with urgency, have a relentless focus on execution and a bias for action, and deliver high-impact results quickly to win for the customer and the team.

What We’re Looking for (Minimum Qualifications)

8+ years of experience with proficiency coding in a modern Object-Oriented language

Expertise in designing, analyzing, and resolving issues in large-scale distributed systems

Demonstrated exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail for designing robust solutions

Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and one or more major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent professional experience), coupled with strong adaptability and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced Agile environment

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

Demonstrate excellent leadership, communication, and cross-team collaboration skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, make high-impact technical decisions, and drive initiatives with minimal oversight

Proficiency with one or more AI code-assistance tools (e.g., Windsurf, Cursor, Claude) to accelerate development, refactoring, unit test creation, and troubleshooting

Exposure to DevOps automation workflows and CI/CD pipelines

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 Platform Engineer

Job Description