Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer - Java/Go + Distributed Systems

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. Role We are looking for a Sr Staff Software Development Engineer to join our team. This is a hybrid role based in Hyderabad, reporting to the Senior Manager of Software Engineering. You will join the Engineering team that built the world’s largest cloud security platform from the ground up. As a leader in our multitenant architecture, you will bring your vision and passion to help organizations worldwide harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) • Understand how to build and operate high scale systems • Provide service and product wide architectural guidance, and drive impactful technical decisions • Establish and enforce best practices for coding, testing, observability, and CI/CD pipelines to maintain high-quality, production-ready services • Drive cross-team collaboration and lead initiatives in performance optimization, reliability improvements, and adoption of new technologies/tools to accelerate feature velocity 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) • Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes within your functional domain and experience with agentic AI systems and orchestration workflows • 7+ years of experience in Java/Go coding in a highly distributed and enterprise-scale environment • Working knowledge of cloud infrastructure services on AWS or Azure • Strong experience with distributed systems and microservices architecture • Strong database knowledge of SQL constructs and data modeling • Strong experience with Identity governance and administration, Access Management What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications) • Experience leveraging AI coding assistants, automated code review tooling, or LLM-assisted development workflows to optimize software architecture and accelerate delivery cycles • Experience building reliable data tiers using Postgres, Redis, Terraform, Ansible, graph databases like Neo4j or AWS Neptune, and developing GraphQL APIs • Deep knowledge of identity and access management systems (Okta, SAML, OAuth), test automation, Python programming, and designing fault-tolerant distributed systems for networking or cloud security products #LI-Hybrid #LI-AN4 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 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 informatio