Staff Software Development Engineer

A systems level role rather than an application one, despite sitting under a generic Zscaler title. The work is Linux and FreeBSD systems development, building and exporting VM images across AWS, Azure and GCP, writing Python and shell automation for infrastructure and monitoring, and performance profiling to find and fix resource bottlenecks. The requirement is 5+ years of C programming with a real understanding of performance optimisation, plus solid operating system knowledge covering process management, threading, memory management and networking. Preferred extras point at database internals and tuning, and at networking protocols translated into system level solutions. If your background is low level Unix work and cloud image plumbing rather than web services, this is a better fit than most things with "Software Development Engineer" in the title. Hybrid, Bangalore.

Required by the posting (Minimum Qualifications): 5+ years of experience in C programming with a strong understanding of its core principles and performance optimisation. Hands on experience with Python and/or shell scripting for automation. Solid knowledge of Linux and FreeBSD based operating systems including process management, threading, memory management and networking. Proficiency working with AWS, Azure and GCP including creating VM images, exporting them and maintaining infrastructure. Zscaler also lists a foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing or positioning AI driven solutions within your domain as a minimum qualification.

Preferred qualifications: experience using AI powered coding assistants and intelligent observability platforms to automate performance profiling and optimise resource utilisation; hands on experience with database internals, tuning and optimisation; and knowledge of networking concepts and protocols with hands on experience translating them into system level solutions.

The real day to day: working with Linux and FreeBSD based systems including configuration and scripting for system level optimisation; creating and exporting VM images across the three major clouds; writing and maintaining automation scripts in Python or shell for infrastructure tasks, system monitoring and cloud workloads; performance profiling to identify and troubleshoot resource bottlenecks; and collaborating with senior engineers to debug system and application level issues.

Location and reporting: a hybrid role based in Bangalore, reporting to the Director of Software Engineering in the Engineering department.

Honest fit guidance: this is one of two Zscaler roles today at a 5 year bar and it is the more specialised of them. The requirement mix (C, FreeBSD, VM image builds, cloud infrastructure) is closer to a systems or platform engineer than to a product developer, and the job explicitly includes collaborating with senior engineers to resolve issues, which suggests a hands on contributor seat rather than an architect one. FreeBSD experience is rare enough that having it will genuinely differentiate you here.