Staff Technical Program Manager - Government Authorizations

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 Technical Program Manager - Government Authorizations to join our team. This is a remote within the US, with a preference for a hybrid environment from the San Jose, CA office role, reporting to the Director, Technology, Risk & Compliance in the Exposure Management and Security Operations department. Zscaler is seeking an experienced Staff Technical Program Manager - Government Authorizations to own the end-to-end execution of authorizations and continuous monitoring activities across the FedRAMP and DoD programs. This role operates with an ownership mindset, accomplishing tasks with a dedicated focus against clear priorities, and driving cross-functional execution from onboarding through authorization and ongoing sustainment. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) - Own the authorization activities (SSPs, POA&Ms, SARs) across all impact levels, including facilitating audit interviews, evidence collection, and remediation activities - Evaluate and adjust authorization strategy based on evolving certification programs (FedRAMP 20x), requirements, and technology - Support continuous monitoring activities (incident response/reporting, access reviews, vulnerability scan analysis, change reviews) and drive continuous improvements based on lessons learned in partnership with Compliance Engineering and Compliance Architecture - Advise relevant stakeholders on the current and future risks to authorization activities - Serve as the primary interface with government stakeholders and 3PAO to ensure clear communication for driving authorization activities 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) - Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes within your functional domain - 5+ years of experience leading US Government compliance audits, managing continuous monitoring processes, and remediating risks tracked in the POA&M - Deep understanding of NIST 800-53 Rev 5, DoD Cloud Computing SRG, CNSSI 1253, and practical implementation of GRC controls across technical and non-technical stakeholders - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience - Must be a U.S. ci