Principal Specialist Sales Engineer - Sec Ops

About this role

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.

Principal Specialist Sales Engineer - Sec Ops

Location: Tokyo, Japan (Hybrid)
Department: Global Speciality Sales
Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Role

We are looking for a Principal Specialist Sales Engineer to join our growing Japan Go-to-Market team, based out of our Tokyo office (Hybrid). In this high-impact specialist role, you will report to the Sales Engineering leadership within the Security Operations team, acting as a domain expert for our Exposure Management portfolio.

The Zscaler Sales and Go-to-Market team is a global group of professionals who are passionate about delighting our customers, nurturing trusted partnerships, and driving a secure, cloud-enabled digital transformation across Japan and the broader APJ region. You will partner closely with Enterprise Account Executives, Solution Architects, Customer Success, and our local channel partner ecosystem to demonstrate the value of Zscaler's cutting-edge cloud security and proactive risk mitigation platforms to Japanese enterprises.

Key Responsibilities

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Domain Expertise & Technical Pre-Sales: Serve as the technical authority and subject matter expert on Exposure Management, Vulnerability Management, and SecOps solutions for enterprise customers across Japan.

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Customer Engagement & Demos: Deliver compelling architectural presentations, technical deep dives, and hands-on demonstrations to CXOs, CISOs, and enterprise security engineering teams.

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Proof of Concept (PoC) Leadership: Lead, scope, and execute successful Proof of Value (PoV) / Proof of Concept engagements, clearly demonstrating ROI and risk reduction.

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Ecosystem & Channel Enablement: Collaborate with leading Japanese System Integrators (SIs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), and channel partners to scale technical enablement and co-sell initiatives.

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Global Alignment: Act as the voice of the Japanese customer and market back to global Product Management and Engineering teams to influence product roadmap and localization priorities.

Who You Are (Success Profile)

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You thrive in ambiguity: You are comfortable building the path as you walk it, viewing ambiguity not as a hindrance but as an opportunity to build meaningful, scalable solutions in an expanding market.

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You act like an owner: Your passion for the mission fuels your bias for action, allowing you to navigate seamlessly between high-level architectural strategy and hands-on execution.

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You are a problem-solver: You seek out complex enterprise challenges because you are energized by finding solutions that deliver measurable customer impact.

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You are customer-obsessed: You build deep empathy for customer operations in Japan, anchoring your technical recommendations to real-world business outcomes and risk posture improvements.

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You are resilient and adaptable: You view change as an opportunity, maintaining composure, focus, and cross-cultural adaptability in fast-paced environments.

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

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Language Capabilities:

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Japanese: Native or bilingual proficiency (written and spoken), capable of conducting high-level executive presentations, negotiations, and technical documentation with Japanese enterprise customers.

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English: Business or fluent proficiency (written and spoken), enabling seamless daily collaboration with global product management, engineering, and APAC/global leadership teams.

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7+ years of enterprise cybersecurity pre-sales experience in Sales Engineering, Solutions Engineering, or Solutions Architecture within the Japanese IT market.

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3+ years of hands-on experience selling solutions or platforms within Vulnerability Management, Exposure Management, SecOps, or DevSecOps.

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3+ years of experience working directly with the Japanese partner ecosystem, major domestic SIs, and channel distributors.

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Solid foundational knowledge of network security, cloud architecture (AWS, Azure, GCP), and enterprise threat modeling.

• Bachelor's Degree or Equivalant

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience leveraging AI‑powered Sales Engineering tools or articulating the security and compliance implications of enterprise AI adoption to accelerate Zscaler Sec Ops deals

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Proven track record supporting large-scale enterprise security transformations across major Japanese enterprise accounts, financial institutions, or manufacturing sectors.

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Experience in data modeling, relational databases, asset inventory intelligence, and API-driven automation.

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Industry standard certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or ISACA credentials.

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Familiarity with local compliance, security frameworks, and risk management guidelines common in Japan (e.g., METI/IPA guidelines, CSIS, ISO…