Director, IT Strategy & Operations

About Zscaler

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation to ensure our customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. As an AI-forward enterprise, we are constantly pushing the envelope, leveraging the world’s largest security data lake to power our cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform. This innovation protects our 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 say, impact over activity. We seek innovators who actively use AI to amplify their impact and who thrive in an environment where we leverage intelligent systems to stay ahead of evolving threats. We believe in transparency and value constructive, honest debate—we’re 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 you’re enabled to do your best work and embrace your potential. If you’re driven by purpose, thrive on solving complex challenges, and want to be part of the team that’s helping to secure the AI age, we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler and help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Role

We are looking for a Director, IT Strategy & Operations to join our team. This is a Hybrid (San Jose, CA, 3 days in a week) role, reporting to the VP of IT, Corporate Applications. You will be the primary owner of our long-term IT strategy and roadmap, and the connective tissue that ensures our technology investments translate into enterprise value. This is a high-visibility, high-impact role for a leader who thrives at the intersection of finance, enterprise strategy, and governance. You aren't just keeping the lights on; you are building the world-class foundation that enables IT to support Zscaler’s rapid growth trajectory.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Architect the Multi-Year Vision: Own the long-term IT strategy, aligning our technology roadmap with Zscaler’s hyper-growth trajectory to ensure IT is always ahead of business needs.
• Build the Financial Engine: Direct the multi-million dollar IT budget lifecycle. You’ll move beyond simple tracking and toward proactive financial management - ultimately ensuring every dollar is a wise investment in growth.
• Drive the Executive Pulse: Own the IT operating rhythms. You will facilitate Monthly Business Reviews with the CIO, Quarterly Business Reviews with the CEO, and other executive governance forums. You will be the strategic partner to IT leadership, ensuring our impact is visible, measured, and celebrated.
• Master the M&A Playbook: Lead the charge on SaaS integration planning for newly acquired companies, ensuring that new additions to the Zscaler family are integrated seamlessly and strategically.
• Establish a World-Class Foundation: Elevate IT governance and SOX controls from a requirement to a gold standard. You will build the frameworks that ensure our governance is as innovative as our technology.

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. You adapt to what’s needed, navigating seamlessly between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
• You operate with urgency. You understand that in a high-growth environment, speed and quality are not mutually exclusive. You have a relentless focus on execution and a bias for action, delivering high-impact results quickly to win for the customer and the team.
• You think at scale. You connect your day-to-day work to the larger company mission and think globally. You build solutions, processes, and teams that are not just effective today but are built to last and support a high-growth, global organization.
• You lead with integrity. You do the right thing, even when it’s hard. You hold yourself and others to a high standard of accountability and build trust by matching your words with consistent, transparent action.

What We’re Looking for (Minimum Qualifications)

• 8+ years of cross-functional leadership experience, ideally driving IT operations.
• Hands-on ownership of multi-million dollar IT budgets at the P&L or cost center level, utilizing financial systems like Coupa, Netsuite, and Adaptive.
• Experience managing a large SaaS portfolio - Vendor negotiation experience yielding measurable cost savings, and leading rationalization initiatives at a publicly traded company.
• Demonstrated leadership in owning SOX controls (ITGC).
• Executive presence with experience presenting to VP, SVP, and CIO stakeholders.

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Lean Six Sigma or Scaled Agile (SAFe) certification
• M&A SaaS integration experience with a history of rationalizing acquired tech stacks
• Proficiency in Snowflake or Tableau for self-serve financial reporting

#LI-YC2 #LI-Hybrid

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.

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 Future of Work strategy, 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.