Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer - job 2 of 2

As a Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer at Zscaler, your main responsibilities will include developing shared infrastructure automation for federal and regulated cloud environments, improving CI/CD system security, and defining DevOps standards across the engineering team. You will also automate the build-out of Zscaler clouds and participate in on-call rotations to ensure high availability of our engineering platforms.

To qualify for the Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer position at Zscaler, you should have at least 5 years of experience in commercial services development, familiarity with public cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, and proficiency in Infrastructure as Code tools, such as Terraform or Ansible. A Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, IT, or a related field is also required.

Candidates with experience in High/Moderate FedRamp authorization levels, continuous monitoring, and expertise across multiple cloud providers will stand out in the Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer role at Zscaler. Proficiency in handling both relational and non-relational databases for microservices is also highly valued.

Zscaler is committed to supporting the professional growth of its Sr. Staff Software Development Engineers through comprehensive benefits, ongoing training, education reimbursement, and a collaborative work environment. By working with some of the brightest minds in the industry, you will have the opportunity to expand your skills and influence in cloud security.

The work culture at Zscaler is inclusive, fast-paced, and innovative. As a Sr. Staff Software Development Engineer, you will be part of a supportive team that values diversity and collaboration. Zscaler encourages its employees to be problem solvers, thinkers, and creators who contribute toward making the cloud a safer place.

In your response, highlight any specific projects you've worked on using AWS or Azure, focusing on your role, the technologies you utilized, and how you optimized cloud services in those projects.

Share specific examples of how you've used Terraform or Ansible in previous roles. Talk about the challenges you faced and how you overcame them to automate infrastructure setups.

Discuss your strategies for securing CI/CD systems, such as implementing automated testing, code reviews, and vulnerability scanning, and provide examples of how you’ve successfully managed security in past projects.

In your answer, mention specific DevOps practices you advocate for, such as continuous integration, regular feedback loops, and cross-team collaboration. Illustrate how these practices have improved efficiency in your previous environments.

Describe your troubleshooting methodology, including how you gather logs, use monitoring tools, and isolate issues across distributed environments, along with a specific incident where your approach led to a successful resolution.

Choose a complex concept relevant to your expertise and practice simplifying it for a non-technical audience. Focus on clarity and use relatable analogies to illustrate your points.

Emphasize how automation facilitates efficiency and consistency in your workflow. Provide examples of specific automation tools you've implemented to streamline processes in past roles.

Discuss your strategies for staying informed about cybersecurity threats, such as following industry blogs, participating in webinars, and attending conferences. Share any communities or forums you engage with continuously.

Provide an example of a high-pressure scenario you faced, explaining how you prioritized tasks, collaborated with your team, and managed your time effectively to meet the project deadline.

Reflect on what drives your passion for software development, whether it's problem-solving, creating impactful solutions, or collaborating with innovative teams, and how that motivation has translated into professional accomplishments.