J-1 Visa Staff Software Developer Jobs
Staff Software Developer roles in the U.S. are accessible to international professionals through J-1 visa sponsorship under the Trainee or Research Scholar program category. A designated sponsor organization issues your DS-2019, while the tech employer serves as your host site. No lottery, no annual cap.
See All Staff Software Developer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 12+ Staff Software Developer jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all 12+ Staff Software Developer jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Staff Software Developer roles.
Get Access To All JobsAbout 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 Staff Software Development Engineer - DevSecOps to join our team in a hybrid capacity in San Jose, CA, reporting to the Director, Software Development Engineering. Our Engineering team built the world’s largest cloud security platform from the ground up, and we keep building. You will support internal product teams in managing CI/CD pipelines, strengthening security practices, and maintaining shared engineering systems to enable organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy.
What You’ll Do (Role Expectations)
- Build and manage CI/CD systems to deploy critical applications across hybrid cloud environments including AWS, GCP, and proprietary clouds
- Support internal product teams with CI/CD pipelines, automations, and tools like GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, ArgoCD, and security scanning solutions
- Secure code, applications, and infrastructure using security scanning tools such as SonarQube, Snyk, Coverity, and CheckMarx
- Administer and optimize critical DevSecOps applications while monitoring build metrics with tools like Grafana, Prometheus, and CloudWatch
- Communicate progress to stakeholders through Jira, technical documentation, and clear status updates
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. 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.
What We’re Looking For (Minimum Qualifications)
- 5+ years of professional experience including hands-on experience managing cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, or private clouds
- Proficiency in application development or automation using OOP languages like C/C++, Java, Python, or Go, plus exposure to container orchestration and automation tools
- Familiarity with application security testing methodologies and experience using tools like SonarQube, Snyk, Coverity, or CheckMarx
- Experience designing and managing GitOps-based pipelines using GitLab, GitHub, and CI/CD automation tools like Jenkins or GitHub Actions
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)
- Experience with AI and ML tools in day to day DevSecOps activities
- Experience writing and developing yaml based CI/CD Pipelines and knowledge of build tools like makefiles, gradle, npm, or maven
- Experience with Networking, Load Balancers, Firewalls, and Web Security
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
$129,500—$185,000 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.
Benefits
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.
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.
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 Staff Software Development Engineer - DevSecOps to join our team in a hybrid capacity in San Jose, CA, reporting to the Director, Software Development Engineering. Our Engineering team built the world’s largest cloud security platform from the ground up, and we keep building. You will support internal product teams in managing CI/CD pipelines, strengthening security practices, and maintaining shared engineering systems to enable organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy.
What You’ll Do (Role Expectations)
- Build and manage CI/CD systems to deploy critical applications across hybrid cloud environments including AWS, GCP, and proprietary clouds
- Support internal product teams with CI/CD pipelines, automations, and tools like GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, ArgoCD, and security scanning solutions
- Secure code, applications, and infrastructure using security scanning tools such as SonarQube, Snyk, Coverity, and CheckMarx
- Administer and optimize critical DevSecOps applications while monitoring build metrics with tools like Grafana, Prometheus, and CloudWatch
- Communicate progress to stakeholders through Jira, technical documentation, and clear status updates
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. 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.
What We’re Looking For (Minimum Qualifications)
- 5+ years of professional experience including hands-on experience managing cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, or private clouds
- Proficiency in application development or automation using OOP languages like C/C++, Java, Python, or Go, plus exposure to container orchestration and automation tools
- Familiarity with application security testing methodologies and experience using tools like SonarQube, Snyk, Coverity, or CheckMarx
- Experience designing and managing GitOps-based pipelines using GitLab, GitHub, and CI/CD automation tools like Jenkins or GitHub Actions
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)
- Experience with AI and ML tools in day to day DevSecOps activities
- Experience writing and developing yaml based CI/CD Pipelines and knowledge of build tools like makefiles, gradle, npm, or maven
- Experience with Networking, Load Balancers, Firewalls, and Web Security
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
$129,500—$185,000 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.
Benefits
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.
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.
See all 12+ Staff Software Developer jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Staff Software Developer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Staff Software Developer
Align your portfolio with trainee program criteria
The J-1 Trainee category requires a degree plus one year of related work experience, or five years of experience without a degree. Audit your resume against those thresholds before applying, since gaps here will stall your DS-2019 issuance.
Target employers experienced with training plans
J-1 Trainee placements require a DOL-compliant training plan that maps your software development goals to specific on-site activities. Employers who have hosted J-1 trainees before already understand this requirement and move faster through the host-approval stage.
Search for J-1 compatible roles on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Staff Software Developer openings at U.S. employers with documented sponsorship histories. Targeting companies already familiar with exchange visitor programs cuts your outreach time significantly.
Verify your role clears the specialty occupation standard
USCIS defines software development roles using O*NET classification codes. Confirm your prospective job description references a bachelor's-level discipline so your designated sponsor can accurately categorize the position on the DS-2019 and supporting training plan.
Clarify two-year home residency exposure early
Certain funding sources and countries of nationality trigger the J-1 two-year home residency requirement. Identify your exposure before accepting a host offer, because this restriction affects future H-1B or green card pathways and can't be resolved after DS-2019 issuance.
Request your training plan details in writing
Once a host employer commits, get the proposed training objectives, rotation schedule, and supervision structure documented before your designated sponsor submits paperwork. Mismatches between the offer and the training plan are a common cause of DS-2019 delays.
Staff Software Developer jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Staff Software Developer JobsStaff Software Developer J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a Staff Software Developer role?
The Trainee category is the most common fit for software developers with a degree plus at least one year of professional experience. If your role is embedded in a university or research institution, the Research Scholar category may apply instead. Current students completing degree-linked practicums may qualify under the Intern category, which has stricter enrollment requirements.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for a software developer role?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization such as Cultural Vistas or AIPT, not the tech company hiring you. The employer is your host site. The designated sponsor issues your DS-2019, monitors your training plan compliance, and serves as your primary point of contact for SEVIS reporting throughout your program.
How do I find U.S. tech employers open to J-1 trainees?
Migrate Mate lets you search Staff Software Developer roles at employers with documented sponsorship histories, which narrows your outreach to companies already familiar with the host-approval process. Because the J-1 Trainee category requires a signed training plan from the host, targeting experienced host employers reduces the administrative back-and-forth before your DS-2019 can be issued.
Does the J-1 Trainee program have a duration limit for software roles?
Yes. The J-1 Trainee program caps participation at 18 months per host employer. Software development roles classified under information technology fields fall within this limit. Extensions beyond 18 months are not available under the Trainee category, so plan your program timeline and any transition to a different visa status well in advance of that deadline.
Can a J-1 Trainee in a software role work remotely for the host employer?
Remote or hybrid arrangements are a gray area under J-1 regulations. Your training plan must specify a physical host site address, and SEVIS records are tied to that location. If your host employer allows partial remote work, your designated sponsor must approve the arrangement and it needs to be reflected in the training plan to remain compliant with program requirements.
See which Staff Software Developer employers are hiring and sponsoring visas right now.
Search Staff Software Developer Jobs