Staff Technical Program Manager (Software Deployments) (Federal)

Zscaler; United States; Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Vacation and sick time

Parental leave

Retirement plans

Education reimbursement

In-office perks

Job summary

Zscaler is seeking a Staff Technical Program Manager (Federal) to lead cross-functional programs in a hybrid role (3 days in office in San Jose, CA). You will own intake, drive execution reviews, ensure release readiness, and partner with engineering, product, and operations to meet quality and security standards.

You will work across three engineering orgs, implement SDLC best practices, and raise delivery predictability.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required for customer work.
• 8+ years in engineering/TPM.
• Bias for action with track record of smart risk-taking and progress.
• Stakeholder management across technical and executive levels.
• Proficiency in JIRA dashboards, Structure, and advanced tracking methods.
• Undergraduate degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Business, or related field.
• Foundational AI/ML understanding and experience with AI-driven solutions.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end program delivery across multiple initiatives and Scrum teams.
• Build and own the central intake process with stakeholders.
• Lead weekly execution reviews, track incidents, OKRs, and risks.
• Coordinate release planning and production readiness across cross-functional teams.
• Elevate process maturity with SDLC standards and Jira structures.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

AI/ML fundamentals

Problem solving

Education

Undergraduate degree in Engineering, CS, Business, or related

Tools

JIRA (dashboards, Structure)

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 Staff Technical Program Manager (Federal) to join our team. This is a hybrid (minimum 3 days in office, San Jose, CA) role, reporting to the Senior Manager, Technical Program Management in the Technical Program Management Team. The TPM will partner directly with Engineering and be responsible for establishing a clear intake and commitment process, leading execution and delivery reviews to ensure programs stay on track, and driving release readiness criteria to meet Zscaler s quality bar.

What You ll Do (Role Expectations)

• Drive End-to-End Program Delivery: Own planning across multiple concurrent initiatives managing independent Scrum teams and aligning scope, owners, timelines, and success metrics across three engineering orgs
• Build and Own the Central Intake Process: Design and operate a centralized intake function, partnering with stakeholders to triage requests, assign effort levels, and translate demand into rolling roadmaps and execution plans
• Lead Execution Reviews: Run weekly program reviews tracking active initiatives, production incidents, service health, and OKRs — maintaining an integrated status view that surfaces risks and dependency conflicts before they become blockers
• Orchestrate Cross-Functional Delivery: Coordinate release planning and production readiness across capacity expansions, provisioning, and new service onboarding — keeping infrastructure, SWE, and product stakeholders aligned on commitments and change control
• Elevate Process Maturity: Replace manual tracking with JIRA-based structures, establish SDLC standards, and drive delivery predictability across both repeatable operations and highly ambiguous ad-hoc programs

Who You Are (Success Profile)

You act like an owner with a deep passion for the mission, operating with integrity and navigating seamlessly between high-level strategy and hands-on execution. You are a high-trust collaborator who builds team success through candor, clear communication, and ongoing respectful feedback. You are customer-obsessed, anchoring decisions in solving real-world problems and championing internal and external user needs from start to finish. You champion simplicity by distilling complex technical concepts into clear, actionable plans and precise communication. You think at scale, connecting daily execution to global business goals while building processes designed for long-term growth.

What We re Looking For (Minimum Qualifications)

• US Citizenship is required (due to the nature of assigned customers)
• 8+ years of experience in Engineering/Technical Program Management
• Proven bias for action, with a track record of taking smart risks and driving continuous, incremental progress.
• Demonstrated success in stakeholder management, with the ability to communicate effectively across both technical and executive levels of the organization.
• Proficiency in JIRA, including JIRA dashboards, JIRA Structure, and advanced tracking methodologies
• Undergraduate degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Business, or a related domain
• Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes within your functional domain

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

Background in software program management and systems engineering, with hands-on experience managing end-to-end SDLC, production software deployments, and operational process improvements. Prior hands-on engineering experience in low-level networking (protocols, network configuration, routing, etc.) and software fundamentals. Deep understanding of the networking industry with the technical depth to identify software/architectural risks and translate complex system challenges into actionable plans.

Salary

Base Pay Range $122,500 - $175,000 USD (Full-time position). The base salary range listed for this fulltime position excludes commission/bonus/equity (if applicable) + benefits.

Company Culture

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!

Working Model

Learn more about Zscaler s hybrid working model and benefits here.

Compliance & Equal Opportunity

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.

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.

Additional Information

#LI-KM9 #LI-Hybrid