Principal Security & Privacy Compliance Architect

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 Security and Privacy Compliance Architect to join our team. This is a Hybrid (3 days/week, Santa Clara HQ) role, reporting to the Director, Technology Risk & Compliance in the Compliance Architect department. In this role, you will bridge technical architecture, product engineering, legal privacy counsel, and federal/commercial compliance mandates to shape and scale security and privacy operational compliance across highly regulated cloud environments. You will translate complex regulatory frameworks into practical technical and operational solutions, support critical system authorization efforts, elevate control maturity, and establish scalable compliance practices that enable sustainable business growth.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous maturity of security and privacy compliance architecture across multi-cloud environments subject to SOC 2, C5, GDPR, ISO 27701, FedRAMP High, and DoD IL5
• Lead and approve cross-border transfer and data residency design patterns, operationalizing unified privacy control catalogs (NIST, ISO 27701) into actionable engineering specifications
• Facilitate end-to-end privacy and data security risk evaluations (DPIAs, PIAs, PTAs) and serve as the primary technical liaison to Privacy Legal for post-incident remediation and corrective actions
• Evaluate corporate and product-embedded AI/ML integrations against emerging frameworks (e.g., ISO 42001, NIST AI RMF), validating technical safeguards and model controls
• Serve as the Principal Compliance Architect SME for all privacy compliance initiatives supporting 3PAOs, external regulatory auditors, enterprise customers, and internal engineering teams

Who You Are (Success Profile)

• You thrive in ambiguity and are comfortable building the path forward in dynamic, fast-evolving environments, viewing complex challenges as opportunities to design meaningful, lasting solutions.
• You act like an owner with a strong bias for action and high integrity, navigating seamlessly between high-level architectural strategy and hands-on operational execution.
• You are a problem-solver who leans into complex technical and regulatory challenges, staying laser-focused on finding practical, scalable solutions that deliver measurable business impact.
• You are a high-trust collaborator who is ambitious for the team’s collective success, actively embracing a candid challenge culture by giving and receiving feedback with clarity, empathy, and respect.
• You are a continuous learner with an active growth mindset, proactively seeking feedback and staying ahead of shifting regulatory landscapes, cloud architectures, and modern security engineering practices.

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
• 8+ years of progressive experience in Privacy Engineering and Information Security within cloud-native enterprise environments
• Proven operational mastery of GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, international cross-border transfer, SOC 1/SOC 2, C5, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27701, ISO/IEC 42001, NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP, and DoD SRG (IL4/IL5)
• Strong working knowledge of major public cloud service providers (AWS, Azure, or GCP), AI/ML platforms, containerized environments (Kubernetes/EKS), modern IAM (SAML 2.0, OIDC, Okta), and Zero Trust network architectures
• Demonstrated track record of conducting rigorous security/privacy design reviews, data-flow mapping, PII lifecycle evaluations, threat modeling, and third-party vendor risk assessments
• Exceptional ability to distill nuanced legal and compliance obligations into concrete engineering requirements and actionable technical patterns without introducing operational drag

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Proven ability to leverage AI technologies and workflows to drive measurable operational efficiency
• Hands-on experience designing and deploying AI-forward automated solutions for continuous control monitoring (CCM), automated evidence gathering, and compliance workflow orchestration within regulated cloud environments
• Prior experience establishing technical privacy governance for generative AI/LLM architectures, sovereign cloud deployments, and automated data discovery/classification pipelines
• Relevant professional credentials, such as CIPT, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, CDPSE, CISSP, CCSP, or CRISC

#LI-Hybrid #LI-AJ1

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.

Base Pay Range

$196,000—$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.

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.