Zscaler
Senior Staff Software Development Engineer (C / Networking / Dataplane)
$158K–$225K
Santa Clara, California, USA · Senior Staff · Full-time · Posted Sep 2, 2026
- Experience
- 8+ years.
- Education
- BS or MS degree in CS/CE or equivalent experience.
About the job
Design and implement high-performance networking datapath features for load balancing, firewall rules, and Layer 7 protocols across Zscaler’s global security infrastructure.
What you'll do
- Design and implement datapath features for load balancing, firewall rules, and L7 protocols.
- Build high-performance systems using C programming, data structures, and algorithms.
- Own moderately complex projects from conception through deployment.
What they ask for
- 8+ years building large-scale commercial networking and security applications, with proficiency in C or C++.
- Strong foundational knowledge of data structures and algorithms.
- Working experience with Linux, Unix, or similar operating systems.
- BS or MS degree in CS/CE or equivalent experience.
Nice to have
- Exposure to AI-assisted software development tools and workflows.
- Advanced knowledge of DNS, HTTP, TCP/IP, and SSL/TLS.
Pay
$157,500 — $225,000 USD (base salary)
Tools
C, C++, Linux, Unix, DNS, HTTP, TCP/IP, SSL/TLS
AI focus
Explore and integrate AI tools to enhance workflows and problem-solving; use AI-assisted development tools to improve engineering productivity and delivery quality.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative