Principal Software Development Engineer (GoLang, Java, or Rust)

Role

We are looking for a Principal Software Development Engineer to join our team. This is a Hybrid, Bangalore role, reporting to the Sr. Director, Application Engineering - Central Authority in the Central Authority 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. You bring a deep understanding of security protocols and services to help us build the next generation of cloud security.

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 and Grafana

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
• 13+ years in software development, with at least 8+ years specializing in production-grade microservices
• Hands-on experience in modern programming languages such as Java, 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, alongside 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 implementing AI-assisted engineering tools or integrating predictive AI/ML models to optimize control plane resiliency and automated scalability
• Experience with Service Mesh technologies such as Istio or Linkerd
• Practical knowledge of chaos engineering and advanced performance testing tools

#LI-Hybrid #LI-VV3