Senior Director, Engineering - Datapath, Security

The Senior Director of Engineering at Zscaler is responsible for leading the ZPA team by setting strategic direction, managing multiple projects, and ensuring that team commitments are met. This role involves overseeing the development and maintenance of the Zscaler Private Access platform, focusing on areas such as performance, security, and scalability. Additionally, you will guide your team through best practices in engineering management, program delivery, and quality processes, ensuring that innovation thrives across the board.

To qualify for the Senior Director of Engineering role at Zscaler, candidates should have 10+ years of engineering management experience with a proven track record of leading global teams of 40+ members. You must possess 10+ years of hands-on development experience with networking and systems software, particularly in TCP/IP and C programming. Strong skills in architecture reviews, performance optimization, and cross-functional collaboration with teams like DevOps and QA are essential for success in this position.

Zscaler is dedicated to fostering continuous growth and development for its employees. As a Senior Director of Engineering, you'll have access to comprehensive benefits that promote both professional and personal advancement, such as education reimbursement and mentorship programs. We believe in creating an inclusive environment where every team member can thrive and contribute to our mission, empowering you to reach your career goals within a supportive framework.

The work environment at Zscaler is fast-paced, collaborative, and inclusive. As a Senior Director of Engineering, you’ll enjoy hybrid work flexibility, requiring office attendance three days a week in San Jose, California. Our culture is built around teamwork, innovation, and a shared commitment to security and performance in cloud technology, ensuring you have the resources and support necessary to lead a motivated and skilled engineering team.

As a Senior Director of Engineering at Zscaler, you will have a transformative impact on the future of cloud security solutions. You’ll guide engineers in developing reliable, scalable, and secure products while shaping the team culture and vision. Your leadership will be vital in driving innovation through the ZPA platform, enabling enterprises to harness the power of a cloud-first strategy, thus enhancing security for millions of users globally.

When asked about your experience leading engineering teams, discuss your previous roles where you managed teams of 40+ people. Highlight specific projects, challenges you faced, and how you motivated your team to achieve goals. Be sure to mention aspects of your leadership style that foster collaboration and innovation.

To answer this question, discuss your approach to implementing quality assurance processes throughout the development lifecycle. You could mention your experiences in driving best practices, code reviews, and automated testing. Illustrate how these frameworks have helped mitigate risks and ensured high-quality deliverables.

In responding to this question, outline your methodology for conducting architecture reviews. Describe how you evaluate features, performance, and scalability while engaging with your team to reach consensus on best practices and design guidelines. Providing an example from your past experiences will help illustrate your capabilities.

Answer this by providing examples of how you've worked with teams such as DevOps, QA, and Product Management. Emphasize communication strategies you've employed to ensure alignment on goals and processes, as well as any tools you used to facilitate teamwork.

When elaborating on your approach to scaling software products, explain your considerations regarding reliability, availability, and security. Share experiences where you successfully scaled up a product's capacity and the steps taken to optimize performance while ensuring user satisfaction.

In your response, talk about the frameworks you've implemented for task prioritization, such as Agile methodologies. Discuss how you take into account project deadlines, team skills, and overall business objectives to make informed decisions that drive productivity and morale.

When addressing this question, narrate a specific incident where you encountered a technical issue, detailing your thought process and actions taken to resolve it. Highlight the outcome and any lessons learned that you could apply in future scenarios.

Discuss how you encourage feedback not only from your team but also provide it constructively. Explain how this creates a culture of transparency and continuous improvement, and how you have integrated feedback mechanisms into your leadership practices to enhance team dynamics.

During your answer, list key technologies and tools you utilize for project management, code review, and communication. Describe how these tools enhance team performance and project delivery, and express your openness to adopting new technologies that can drive efficiency.

In response, share your thoughts on the significance of cloud security in today’s digital landscape. Explain why it excites you to work in this area and how your experience has shaped your desire to innovate and lead teams toward successful security solutions in cloud environments.