Role We are looking for a Principal Software Development Engineer (Microservices) to join our team. This is a hybrid capacity based out of San Jose, CA (3 days a week in office) role, reporting to the Senior Director of Engineering in the ZIA Engineering department. You will work on the control plane for the Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) product, which has redefined how security services are delivered in the cloud. Because our platform has redefined cloud security, our underlying technology must continuously evolve to meet massive scale. We are seeking engineers experienced in designing and navigating complex distributed architectures to help us innovate and elevate our foundational tech stack.

What you'll do (Role Expectations)

• Lead the technical roadmap to modernize enterprise platforms using API-first design and microservices architecture
• Design, develop, and deploy highly resilient, low-latency, event-driven solutions while maintaining ownership from API tiers to back-end services
• Drive a culture of quality by setting coding standards, performing code reviews, and championing TDD/BDD practices and mentorship
• Partner with Product, DevOps, and System Architects to translate complex business needs into scalable, high-performance technical solutions
• Manage service lifecycles via Docker/Kubernetes and ensure system health using observability tools like Prometheus/Grafana and use AI-powered tools for problem solving & engineering efficiency

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
• 10+ years in software development with strong experience specializing in production-grade microservices and proficiency in Java (Spring Boot), Go, or Rust
• Expertise in distributed data patterns (CQRS, Event Sourcing) and event-driven communication (Kafka, RabbitMQ, or SQS)
• Extensive hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes within AWS, Azure, or GCP environments
• Proficiency in both SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (Cassandra, MongoDB, or Cosmos DB) database design and scaling

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience leveraging AI-powered tools to optimize predictive scaling, automated performance tuning, or anomaly detection within distributed microservices
• Experience with Service Mesh technologies such as Istio or Linkerd
• Practical knowledge of chaos engineering, advanced performance testing tools, or active contributions to open-source projects

#LI-KM9 #LI-Hybrid

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

$182,000-$260,000 USD

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.