Sr. Site Reliability Engineer-Federal, Security Clearance

Zscaler; Virginia; Hybrid; USD 132,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Health benefits

Job summary

Zscaler in Crystal City, VA, is seeking a Sr. Site Reliability Engineer (Federal) to join our Government Cloud team on a hybrid schedule.

The role focuses on deploying, operating, and securing cloud services in US Government classified environments, with emphasis on incident management and on-call responsibilities. You will oversee AWS, private cloud environments, containers, and VMs, develop automation scripts, and promote DevOps practices through documentation and escalation management.

Qualifications

• Active US Government Secret clearance required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field; 3+ years SRE experience in Operations and Engineering environments.
• Proficiency in Linux administration, network troubleshooting, and automation tools like Ansible and Terraform.
• Strong Python skills; experience with container-based architectures including AWS ECS and Kubernetes; monitoring, vulnerability scanning, patch management, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage deployments, on-call duties, incident management for US Government classified environments.
• Oversee cloud infrastructure components (AWS, private clouds, containers, VMs) for stability and scalability.
• Develop scripts, containerized services, and monitoring mechanisms to automate operations and minimize service disruption.
• Build and enhance services in classified environments while promoting DevOps through documentation and escalation management.

Skills

AI/ML concepts

Python

Linux

Ansible

Terraform

Kubernetes

AWS

ECS

Incident management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

Kubernetes

ECS

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

Role

We are looking for a Sr. Site Reliability Engineer (Federal) to join our team. This is a hybrid role based in Crystal City, Virginia, reporting to the Manager, Site Reliability Engineering in the Government Cloud department.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Manage operational tasks for products in US Government classified environments, including deployments, on-call duties, incident management, and participation in regular deployment syncs
• Oversee all cloud infrastructure components such as AWS, private cloud environments, containers, and VMs to ensure stability and scalability
• Develop scripts, containerized services, and monitoring mechanisms to automate operations tasks and minimize service disruption
• Build new and enhance existing services within classified environments while driving DevOps best practices through documentation and escalation management

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
• This position requires an active US Government Secret security clearance. Maintenance of this clearance is a condition of continued employment
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field with 3+ years of Site Reliability Engineering experience in both Operations and Engineering environments
• Proficiency in Linux administration, network troubleshooting, and automation tools like Ansible and Terraform
• Strong technical skills in Python coding, container-based architectures including AWS ECS and Kubernetes, and experience in monitoring activities such as vulnerability scanning, patch management, and reporting

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience deploying or managing AI-driven observability and AIOps solutions for predictive anomaly detection and automated incident response within cloud infrastructure
• Experience working within air-gapped and classified environments managing monthly monitoring programs
• Familiarity with High/Moderate FedRAMP authorization levels and compliance requirements, possession of Information Assurance Technician Level 2 certification, or Top Secret security clearance #LI-Hybrid #LI-YC2

Salary

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 $132,000 - $165,000 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

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 pl