Sr. Staff Site Reliability Engineer-Federal, Security Clearance

Zscaler; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Zscaler is seeking a Sr. Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Federal) to join the Government Cloud team in Crystal City, VA. This onsite role focuses on maintaining the world’s largest cloud security platform within classified environments, ensuring secure, scalable operations.

You will manage deployments, on-call duties, and incident response, leveraging Linux, Python, Kubernetes, and AWS to maintain multi-tenant cloud security. A Secret clearance is required and expected.

Qualifications

• Active US Government Secret security clearance required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field with 7+ years of SRE experience.
• Proficiency in Linux administration and automation tools like Ansible and Terraform.
• Strong Python skills and container-based architectures (AWS ECS, Kubernetes).
• Experience with monitoring, vulnerability scanning, patch management, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage operational tasks for products in US Government classified environments including deployments and on-call duties.
• Oversee cloud infrastructure components (AWS, private clouds, containers, VMs) for stability and scalability.
• Develop scripts and monitoring to automate operations and minimize disruption.
• Build and enhance services within classified environments while promoting DevOps practices.

Skills

AI/ML basics

Security clearance

Linux administration

Python coding

Terraform

Ansible

AWS ECS

Kubernetes

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

ECS

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

Sr. Staff Site Reliability Engineer-Federal, Security Clearance

Crystal City, Virginia, USA

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 looking for a Sr. Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Federal) to join our team. This is a fully onsite role based in Crystal City, Virginia, reporting to the Manager, Site Reliability Engineering in the Government Cloud department. You will join the team responsible for building the world’s largest cloud security platform, enabling organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility. In this critical role, you will maintain our commitment to security by managing operations within classified environments, ensuring our multitenant architecture remains the leader in cloud security.

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 7+ 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-Onsite #LI-YC2

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

$164,000 - $205,000 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.

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:

• Time off plans for vacation and sick time
• Parental leave options
• Retirement options
• 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.