Principal Software Development Engineer (Control-Plane)

Zscaler•San Jose, CA

2d•$185,500 - $265,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for a Principal Software Development Engineer (Control-Plane) to join our Engineering team. This is a hybrid (in Santa Clara, CA office minimum 3 days per week) role, reporting to the Director, Software Development Engineering. We are expanding our existing control path and looking for a software engineer to help drive the development of new features and enhanced functionality. You will play a pivotal role in evolving our architecture to ensure it meets the demands of our growing user base.

Requirements

12+ years of experience designing and building large-scale, highly reliable, and scalable software systems, preferably in Python and/or Go
Strong hands-on experience with public cloud infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure
Deep understanding of cloud networking concepts and services, including Transit Gateway, Internet Gateway, NAT Gateway, NACLs, security groups, GWLB, ILB, Route 53, and Azure DNS
Foundational knowledge of AI/ML technologies, with experience applying, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to improve outcomes within the functional domain
Strong software design, profiling, and verification skills, with exposure to optimizing systems for scale and performance

Nice To Haves

Strong experience designing and building distributed systems and SaaS platforms, with a proven ability to develop highly available, resilient, and scalable services in production environments
Deep understanding of firewalls, network security principles, and core networking protocols, with the ability to troubleshoot complex traffic flows and enforce secure, high-performance connectivity
Hands-on familiarity with architecting and building Firewall-as-a-Service solutions on major cloud platforms, including AWS, GCP, and Azure, with an understanding of cloud-native networking and security services across each environment

Responsibilities

Define software design specifications and implement bug-free code using test-driven methodology and modern AI-based coding tools
Design, develop, and optimize the system, including networking and security features, to support high-performance applications while performing unit testing and automation to ensure quality
Apply strong software design principles and deep troubleshooting expertise to deliver scalable, resilient, and impactful improvements to Zscaler’s Zero Trust Security Services
Work directly with Engineering Architects, Product Managers, Customers, and Solution Architects to understand customer use cases, review PRDs, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and resolve system-related issues
Coach and mentor junior team members and ensure highest level of quality deliverables