Principal Sales Engineer

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 Principal Sales Engineer to join our team. This is a Hybrid role, reporting to the Senior Director, Sales Engineering in the APJ Field Sales department. A Principal Sales Engineer is an industry expert who advises, encourages and challenges customers and prospects to evolve their cybersecurity architecture from one based on legacy Network and Perimeter architectures to one based on Zero Trust Architecture design principles leveraging the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange (ZTE). 

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Facilitate consultative discovery and design workshops meant to uncover a customer’s business requirements and their current-state architecture
• Design a high-level Zero Trust Architecture including a phased adoption roadmap expressing how the customer can transform to a Zero Trust Architecture future-state over time
• Engage across customer functional teams, as well as Zscaler partner and internal teams, to develop rapport and to ensure success across organizational structures from engineer to executive
• Code-switch seamlessly between CXO and IT Operations audiences to balance a combination of executive presence and deep technical credibility
• Adopt a confident, yet consultative customer-facing persona built on executive presence and humility

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
• 15+ years of relevant experience, or 10+ years of experience and an advanced degree
• Advanced product expertise and solution development capability, delivering on advanced solution selling across end-to-end Enterprise Architectures and complex Networking and Security environments
• Hands-on experience with technologies including TCP/IP protocol stack, DNS, BGP routing, MPLS, SD-WAN, GRE, IPsec, Layer-7 firewalls, Web Proxies, Load Balancing, and Data Loss Prevention
• Strong familiarity with NIST Zero Trust Architecture along with applicable laws, regulations, standards, and frameworks such as GxP, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, and CISA

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience architecting or advising on AI-driven threat detection, automated security analytics, or integrating AI/ML models within modern Zero Trust frameworks
• Coach or mentor mindset that up-levels the collective team, combined with senior thought leadership to influence internal organizational direction and external customer venues

#LI-Hybrid
#LI-SP4

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:

• Various health plans
• Time off plans for vacation and sick time
• Parental leave options
• Retirement options
• Education reimbursement
• 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, or 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.