Principal Software Engineer - Intelligent Data Platform

Zscaler•Santa Clara, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Zscaler is hiring a Principal Software Engineer for its Cloud Data Platform team to lead the design, development, and evolution of a multi-tenant, cloud-based data platform. The role calls for deep expertise in cloud data platforms, distributed systems, and data architecture, with a focus on scalable, secure, high-performance solutions that meet business needs. This is a hybrid position based in Santa Clara, California, with a minimum of three days per week in the office. The position reports to the Director, Software Development Engineering. The engineer will work with product management, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to align technical strategies with business goals, translate requirements into execution plans, and contribute to the product roadmap. The role also drives engineering and operational excellence in a full DevOps model, targeting 99.99% system availability around the clock through reliability, fault tolerance, automation, and rapid customer issue resolution. The engineer will evaluate emerging and cross-provider cloud technologies and mentor junior engineers. Zscaler describes its culture as centered on ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and ongoing feedback. It seeks a candidate who is action-oriented, collaborative, adaptable, resilient, and able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a high-growth environment.

Requirements

10+ years of software engineering experience, specializing in building and managing large-scale cloud-based data platforms.
Expertise in distributed systems and data architecture.
Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes in the candidate’s functional domain.
Demonstrated experience driving cross-team technical programs to delivery, including design reviews, resolving cross-functional blockers, and producing clear architectural guidance.
Proficiency in Java, Go, Python, or similar programming languages.
Deep expertise in REST APIs, RDBMS, document stores, Kubernetes, and Docker.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Experience working with product management and cross-team stakeholders to translate requirements into execution plans.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or industry certifications.
Ability to leverage AI technologies and workflows to drive measurable operational efficiency.
Experience with monitoring, tracing, and observability tools and frameworks such as Grafana and Prometheus.
Proficiency in test frameworks and writing unit tests.
Demonstrated success mentoring and developing engineering talent.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, architecture, and development of a multi-tenant, cloud-based data platform with cross-functional teams.
Partner with product management and stakeholders to align technical strategies with business goals and contribute to the product roadmap.
Translate requirements into execution plans.
Evaluate, establish, and optimize engineering processes, agile methodologies, and best practices to improve efficiency, delivery speed, and code quality.
Drive engineering and operational excellence in a full DevOps model, including system reliability, fault tolerance, automation, and rapid resolution of customer issues to support 99.99% availability 24/7.
Explore emerging and cross-provider cloud technologies to keep the platform versatile and leading-edge.
Mentor junior engineers and promote inclusive collaboration and technical excellence.
Drive cross-team technical programs through delivery, including owning design reviews, resolving cross-functional blockers, and providing architectural guidance.