Manager, Software Development Engineering

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.

Role  

We are seeking a hands-on, visionary Engineering Manager to lead and grow a core segment of our platform engineering team in the India region. This is a hybrid role based in Bangalore, reporting to the Senior Manager, Software Development Engineering in the Engineering department. We are looking for a technical leader who has deep software engineering roots, is comfortable diving into codebases, reviews architecture decisions, and actively guides technical trade-offs rather than just managing from a distance.

In this role, you will lead high-caliber software and platform engineers building managed data stores, internal developer platforms, and automation pipelines.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Provide active architectural oversight, reviewing and challenging system designs, microservices patterns, and distributed data store strategies to ensure high availability, low latency, and minimal tech debt
• Work shoulder-to-shoulder with senior engineers and tech leads, using your past coding background to debug complex system bottlenecks, evaluate code health, and drive engineering excellence
• Build, scale, and mentor high-performing software engineering teams across platform engineering, distributed systems, automation, and AI/ML infrastructure
• Drive the delivery of internal developer platforms, automated cloud infrastructure, and operational tooling that power enterprise-grade reliability and security
• Bridge execution between the India hub and global engineering stakeholders, fostering a culture of ownership, first-principles thinking, and rapid iteration

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 of software engineering experience and 2+ years of engineering management experience, building clean, production-grade software and scaling complex applications while leading, mentoring, and retaining high-caliber engineering teams
• Deep expertise in distributed systems and cloud architecture, with a proven track record of designing, deploying, and operating large-scale, highly available multitenant services
• Strong technical fluency across modern tech stacks, spanning core programming languages (e.g., Go, Java, Python), cloud-native infrastructure (Kubernetes, container runtimes, IaC), and modern CI/CD automation pipelines
• Rigorous architectural judgment and strategic alignment, capable of critiquing low-level designs, evaluating failure modes, and translating complex platform requirements into clear technical roadmaps across global teams

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Demonstrate a proven ability to leverage AI technologies and workflows to drive measurable operational efficiency
• Deep platform engineering and core infrastructure expertise, with hands-on experience building internal developer platforms (IDPs), managed data stores (e.g., PostgreSQL, Redis), and integrating production-grade AI/ML workflows and automation engines (orchestrators, declarative infrastructure pipelines)
• Hands-on, "lead-by-example" technical leadership philosophy, comfortable conducting low-level technical deep-dives, reviewing critical pull requests, and collaborating directly with principal engineers to drive engineering rigor

#LI-Hybrid #LI-RM6

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 security and privacy standards and guidelines.

Zscaler is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We strive to create a workplace where employees are treated with respect and have the chance to succeed. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy or related medical conditions), age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. See more information by clicking on the Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal link.

Pay Transparency

Zscaler complies with all applicable federal, state, and local pay transparency rules.

Zscaler is committed to providing reasonable support (called accommodations or adjustments) in our recruiting processes for candidates who are differently abled, have long term conditions, mental health conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs, or who are neurodivergent or require pregnancy-related support.