Senior Manager, Software Development Engineering (Backend - Java)

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. About the Role We are looking for a Senior Manager, Software Development Engineering to lead our Common Platform Services team within the Zero Trust Exchange division. This team spans across all Zscaler products, driving core platforms such as Zscaler Workflow Automation, the Unified Authorization service, and other critical shared enterprise services. In this role, you will play a pivotal part in delivering scalable, secure, and high-performing platforms and developer tooling to empower engineering teams across the organization. You will focus on enhancing platform efficiency, scalability, and developer experience while managing, mentoring, and growing senior technical talent. What You’ll Do • Drive Technical Roadmap & Execution: Lead the workflow engineering team to drive the technical roadmap, scale engineering talent, and guarantee flawless operational execution • Foster Cross-Team Collaboration: Demonstrate strong cross-team collaboration and communication skills to align stakeholders and enable seamless roadmap execution • Pioneer AI-Native SDLC Transformation: Bring modern transformation through the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to modernize the team and execute a completely AI-native engineering approach • Provide Strategic Technical Leadership: Deliver deep technical leadership and decision-making to shape strategy and execution for common platform services across the organization • Build Enterprise-Scale Web Services: Build enterprise-scale web service products for workflow automation and notification channels with deep integrations into Salesforce, AWS, and GCP Who You Are (Success Profile) • The Ideal Leader for This Role: You are an innovative, forward-thinking tech leader driven by complex problem-solving and modern software paradigms. You thrive at the intersection of team development, architecture, and developer enablement • Driven by Innovation: Deeply curious about emerging tech, passionate about accelerating transformation, and constantly seeking better, more secure, and scalable solutions • AI & Modernization Champion: Eager to leverage AI and automated tooling to reimagine how engineering teams build and deliver software • High-Trust Collaborator: Ambitious for the team, creating an environment of candid feedback, clarity, and deep trust to achieve shared goals. • Scale-Minded Strategist: Capable of connecting day-to-day execution to global business objectives, designing architectures and teams built for high-growth resilience 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 • Leadership & Delivery Experience: 12+ years of overall software engineering experience, including 5+ years of technical people management and end-to-end product/service delivery across public and private clouds • Core Technical Expertise: 12+ years of hands-on software development experience, with solid expertise in AWS, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, and Java/Spring frameworks • Hyperscaler Leadership: Strong technical leadership in designing and building products on hyperscalers (AWS or GCP) • Massive-Scale Resiliency: Extensive experience building cloud services engineered for high availability, massive scale, and fault tolerance What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications) • Proven ability to leverage AI technologies and workflows to drive measurable operational efficiency • Executive Presence: Exceptional organizational leadership capabilities and communication skills tailored for executive visibility and stakeholder management Domain Expertise: Deep product domain experience in cybersecurity, networking, or enterprise workflow software (e.g., ServiceNow) • AI Transformation Track Record: Proven ability to guide engineering teams through a comprehensive technical transformation journey utilizing modern AI tooling #LI-GL2 #LI-HYBRID 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