Zscaler - Principal, AI Research Engineering

• 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. • 8+ years of experience in technical leadership or engineering partnerships with a history of building impactful industry relationships • Deep technical fluency in the AI lifecycle including training vs. inference, GPU roles, context windows, and RAG architectures • Ability to apply first-principles thinking to fundamental security and networking challenges in enterprise LLM deployment • Strong bias for action with a "Ship Early, Iterate Fast" mentality and focus on delivering high-value MVPs • Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes within your functional domain • Proven track record of building thriving developer and partner ecosystems at scale • Deep understanding of the full "AI Stack" from inference and RAG to data governance • Experience in high-velocity environments where AI security and networking solutions are evolving daily • Zscaler’s salary ranges are benchmarked and are determined by role and level. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations and could be higher or lower based on a multitude of factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. • The base salary range listed for this full-time position excludes commission/ bonus/ equity (if applicable) + benefits. • $171,500—$245,000 USD • 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.