Senior Software Development Engineer-Network, Security, LLM (AI Security)

Zscaler; Washington; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Zscaler is seeking a Senior Software Development Engineer - AI Security to join our Hybrid team in the United States (San Jose, CA or Bellevue, WA). You will build a high‑reliability AI security solution capable of scaling to hundreds of millions of users within the world’s largest cloud security platform.

The role emphasizes design, implementation, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, low-latency systems, with a strong focus on performance and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of software engineering experience with Rust; familiarity with lower‑level languages such as C/C++.
• Strong knowledge of system and network programming including firewalls, VPNs, protocols, TCP/IP, UDP, DNS, QUIC.

Responsibilities

• Develop high-performance networking code for multiple desktop platforms using Rust and platform-native APIs.
• Improve code quality through building solid, testable, and well-documented software foundations.
• Design and implement major development projects with a focus on scalability, security, and performance.
• Collaborate with product managers and cross-functional teams to deliver customer-impacting features.
• Debug and solve complex network-related problems and enhance system functionality.

Skills

Rust programming

C/C++ familiarity

Networking protocols

AI security concepts

DevOps pipelines

MLOps basics

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Swift

Python

Job description

About Zscaler

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation to ensure our customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. As an AI-forward enterprise , we are constantly pushing the envelope, leveraging the world's largest security data lake to power our cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform. This innovation protects our customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location.

Here, impact in your role matters more than title and trust is built on results. We say, impact over activity. We seek innovators who actively use AI to amplify their impact and who thrive in an environment where we leverage intelligent systems to stay ahead of evolving threats. We believe in transparency and value constructive, honest debate -we're focused on getting to the best ideas, faster. We build high-performing teams that can make an impact quickly and with high quality. To do this, we are building a culture of execution centered on customer obsession , collaboration, ownership, and accountability.

We value high-impact, high-accountability with a sense of urgency where you're enabled to do your best work and embrace your potential. If you're driven by purpose, thrive on solving complex challenges, and want to be part of the team that's helping to secure the AI age, we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler and help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Role

We are looking for a Senior Software Development Engineer-AI Security to join our team. This is a Hybrid role based in San Jose, CA or Bellevue, WA (3 days in office), reporting to the Director of Software Engineering in the Emerging Tech department. You will build a high-reliability, low-latency AI security solution capable of scaling to hundreds of millions of users. In this role, you will be crucial in enhancing security capabilities for the AI within the world's largest cloud security platform by designing and implementing core infrastructure components and distributed systems while collaborating closely with stakeholders throughout the development lifecycle.

What you'll do (Role Expectations)

• Develop high-performance networking code for multiple desktop platforms using the Rust language and platform-native APIs
• Improve code quality through building solid, testable, and well-documented software foundations
• Design and implement major development projects with a focus on scalability, security, and performance
• Collaborate with product managers and cross-functional teams to deliver customer-impacting features
• Debug and solve complex network-related problems and enhance system functionality

Who You Are (Success Profile)

• You thrive in ambiguity by comfortably building the path as you walk it, viewing a dynamic environment as raw material to create meaningful outcomes.
• You act like an owner with a deep passion for the mission and a strong bias for action, seamlessly navigating between high-level strategy and hands‑on execution.
• You are a natural problem-solver who is energized by complex challenges and laser‑focused on delivering high‑impact solutions.
• You are a high‑trust collaborator who is ambitious for the team's success, actively embracing a culture of candor, respect, and continuous feedback.
• You are a lifelong learner with a growth mindset, constantly developing your skills and seeking purpose in everything you do.

What We're Looking for (Minimum Qualifications)

• Demonstrated curiosity and active exploration of AI tools, with a proven history of integrating new technologies to enhance daily workflows and augment problem-solving
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field
• 3+ years of software engineering experience with deep expertise in the Rust programming language and familiarity with lower‑level languages such as C/C++ Strong knowledge of system and network programming including firewalls, VPNs, protocols, TCP/IP, UDP, DNS, QUIC, H/3, and proxies
• Familiarity with system concepts such as virtual memory, multi-threading, system APIs, SLM/LLM models, and excellent debugging and problem-solving skills in both networking and system-level contexts

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Deep understanding of AI security frameworks, threat modeling for large language models, and mitigating vulnerabilities unique to AI-driven architectures
• Familiarity with DevOps pipelines, VPN technologies, and a strong understanding of security protocols and standards
• Experience writing testable, low-complexity code with dependency injection, proficiency in Swift or Python, and direct experience validating AI-driven products using MLOps principles

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