Senior Analyst, R&D Strategy & Operations

About Zscaler

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation so our customers can be more agile efficient resilient and secure. Our cloud native Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users devices and applications in any location.

Here impact in your role matters more than title and trust is built on results. We believe in transparency and value constructive honest debatewere focused on getting to the best ideas faster. We build high-performing teams that can make an impact quickly and with high quality. To do this we are building a culture of execution centered on customer obsession collaboration ownership and accountability.

We value high-impact high-accountability with a sense of urgency where youre enabled to do your best work and embrace your potential. If youre driven by purpose thrive on solving complex challenges and want to make a positive difference on a global scale we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler and help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Analyst R&D Strategy & Operations to join our R&D Analytics & Insights team. This role is hybrid and based in our San Jose CA or Bellevue WA office three days a week reporting to the Sr. Manager Engineering Strategy Planning & Analytics. Our Engineering team built the worlds largest cloud security platform from the ground up and we continue to scale. You will bring your vision and passion to a team of experts who are enabling organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy.

What youll do (Role Expectations)

• Evaluate engineering operations identify excellence metrics and deliver executive-ready actionable insights to engineering leadership to produce business results

• Lead R&D business operations including headcount planning budget allocation SaaS spend tracking and optimization and scenario modeling

• Analyze investment asks and new initiatives by building governance around success metrics and developing ROI frameworks to drive measurement at scale

• Perform structured analysis across the Software Development LifeCycle to generate insights pinpoint process bottlenecks and enable Engineering Systems to drive measurable improvements

• Partner with engineering leaders to evaluate key metrics proactively identify risks and recommend strategic changes to ensure successful outcomes

Who You Are (Success Profile)

• You thrive in ambiguity. Youre 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 feedbackknowing 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 Were Looking for (Minimum Qualifications)

• 3 years of management consulting experience or 4 years in SaaS Engineering or Business Operations with a Bachelors degree or equivalent experience

• Structured problem-solving skills with the ability to define and pursue next steps amid ambiguity and maintain high attention to detail

• Expert level data analytics and transformation skills specifically SQL and advanced Excel or Sheets with proficiency in data validation and metric governance

• Experience with financial modeling budgeting spend optimization and scenario planning

• Familiarity with developer pain points within the modern SaaS SecDevOps stack such as GitHub GitLab CI/CD testing or Jira

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Advanced technical skills in Alteryx Python or R for analysis along with experience in dbt or data quality tooling

• Deep familiarity with ROI frameworks measurement design and business case development

• Demonstrable experience with an AI-enabled workstyle strong stakeholder management and executive presence

#LI-Hybrid #LI-KM9

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:

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.