Director, Sales Engineering - SLED

Zscaler; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Time off plans

Parental leave options

Retirement options

Education reimbursement

In-office perks

Job summary

Zscaler is seeking a results-driven Director, Sales Engineering to lead the US SLED Sales Engineering organization reporting to the VP, Solutions Consulting - Strategics. You will build and scale a world-class team, partner with sales leadership, and drive strategic technical wins across government and education accounts.

You will shape the technical sales motion, mentor managers and ICs, engage at industry events, and ensure alignment of security solutions with long-term business objectives.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in technical, customer-facing roles with at least 5 years of experience leading teams
• Proficient in selling network security technologies (SSL, proxies, firewalls, VPNs, DLP, anti-virus, etc.)
• Willingness to travel up to 40% to support teams and engage with customers
• Demonstrated curiosity and active exploration of AI tools to enhance workflows and problem-solving

Responsibilities

• Recruiting, mentoring, and building a world-class team of sales engineering managers, architects, and ICs
• Collaborating with sales leadership and clients to develop and execute segment and account-level strategies
• Owning the technical sales motion from start to finish
• Refining and scaling core sales engineering processes for consistency and efficiency
• Acting as a technical leader and executive sponsor for strategic customers and partners

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cloud security

AI fluency

Technical sales

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Technology or related field

Job description

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.

The Zscaler Sales and Go-to-Market team is a global group of professionals who are passionate about delighting our customers, nurturing trusted partnerships, and sharing their expertise to guide a secure, cloud-enabled digital future and further cement our position as the world leader in cloud security. Sales, Customer Success, Sales Enablement, Solution Architects, Business Development, Transformation, and Technology Partnerships all work together to demonstrate the power and agility of Zscaler cloud transformation to the world.

We're seeking a results-driven and strategic Director, Sales Engineering to lead our US SLED Sales Engineering organization reporting to the Vice President, Solutions Consulting - Strategics.

What You’ll Do (Role Expectations)

• Recruiting, mentoring, and building a world-class team of sales engineering managers, architects, and individual contributors
• Collaborating with sales leadership and clients to develop and execute winning segment and account-level strategies. You will own the technical sales motion from start to finish
• Refining and scaling the core sales engineering processes, ensuring consistency and efficiency
• Acting as a key technical leader and executive sponsor for strategic customers and partners, representing the company at industry events, forums, and executive briefings
• Driving the technical strategy that positions our solutions as essential to the customer's long-term business objectives

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)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Technology or a related field or equivalent experience
• 12+ years of experience in technical, customer-facing roles with at least 5 years of experience leading teams, including multiple lines of management
• Must be proficient in selling network security technologies including but not limited to: SSL and web related technologies, proxies, caches, firewalls, SSL/IPsec, VPN’s, DLP, anti-virus, spam, spyware solutions, and end user monitoring
• This role requires travel to support teams and engage with customers up to 40%
• Demonstrated curiosity and active exploration of AI tools, with a proven history of integrating new technologies to enhance daily workflows and augment problem-solving

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Industry certifications including CCNP, JNCIP, PCNSA , CISSP, or CCSP
• A hands-on leadership approach, with the proven ability to engage directly with strategic accounts to secure technical wins
• A deep understanding of complex, multi-year sales cycles and expertise in value-based storytelling
• Demonstrate strong AI fluency by leveraging coding assistants, LLMs, and Generative AI tools to accelerate troubleshooting, solution design, automation, and customer problem-solving, while applying sound technical judgment to validate outputs.

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

$1—$1 USD

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.

Benefits

• 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, and 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.