Principal AI Security Specialist - Federal

Title: Principal AI Security Specialist - Federal Location: McLean, Virginia, USA; Remote - D.C., USA

About the Role

The AI revolution is here, and enterprises are racing to adopt GenAI—but they cannot deploy what they cannot secure. Zscaler is seeking an experienced Principal AI Security Specialist to bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI innovation and robust enterprise security.

In this highly strategic, field-facing role, you will combine the elite consultative strengths of a Solutions Engineer with deep expertise in LLMs, RAG architectures, and data protection. As our premier technical authority, you will partner with Fortune 500 executives and architects, serving as a trusted advisor to help them confidently unlock the power of AI without compromising their data or infrastructure. If you are a builder, an educator, and a master storyteller who thrives in a fast-evolving market, this is your chance to lead the industry's most critical conversation.

What You’ll Do 

• Architect the AI Technical Strategy: Partner with enterprise account teams to own and execute the technical sales strategy, driving complex, high-value AI security opportunities from discovery to close.
• Deliver Compelling, High-Impact Demos & POVs: Configure and present tailored, outcome-driven demonstrations of Zscaler’s AI security platform that resonate with both deep-tech practitioners and C-level executives.  When needed, take customers through successful demos and POVs to validate Zscaler’s ability to securely enable enterprise AI.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert: Act as the field authority on modern AI patterns (such as RAG, agents, and prompt workflows), advising clients on how to prevent sensitive data exposure and unsanctioned AI usage.
• Scale the Field Motion: Collaborate with Product and Engineering to inject real-world customer feedback into the product roadmap, while building reusable demo assets and enablement playbooks to upscale our global sales force.
• Enable Those Around You: Develop reusable demos, technical assets, competitive positioning, and enablement content to help scale Zscaler’s AI field motion while sharing best practices and training with enterprise account teams

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 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 customer-obsessed. You build deep empathy for the customer—both internal and external—and anchor your decisions in solving their real-world problems. You champion their needs from start to finish, knowing their success is our success.
• You are driven by innovation. You have a deep curiosity for how things work and are energized by solving complex technical challenges. You believe in the power of technology to accelerate transformation and are always looking for a better, more secure, and scalable way.

What We’re Looking For 

• Deep Fluency in AI/GenAI: Strong foundational knowledge of Large Language Models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), MCP (Model Context Protocol) orchestration patterns, and the inherent security risks associated with them.
• 10+ Years of Solutions Engineering Mastery: A proven track record in a customer-facing technical role (Sales Engineering, Solutions Architecture, or Technical Advisory) navigating complex, enterprise-level sales cycles.
• Enterprise Security Foundations: Solid grasp of cybersecurity principles, including Zero Trust architecture, data loss prevention (DLP), cloud-native security platforms, and API integrations.
• Elite Executive Communication: Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills, with a demonstrated ability to seamlessly translate complex AI architectures into tangible business value and security outcomes.
• Collaborate and Co-elevate: Successfully work cross-functionally with Sales, Solutions Engineering, Product, Engineering, Marketing, and other go-to-market teams in a hyper-growth, rapidly evolving market.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Hands-on AI Prototyping: Interacting with LLM APIs, scripting, creating agentic automation routines, and building lightweight AI applications.
• Advanced AI Risk Expertise: Direct experience helping enterprises deploy production AI technologies while navigating data leakage, model governance, compliance frameworks, and shadow AI usage.
• Scale & Enablement Focus: A history of creating high-impact field assets, technical workshops, and competitive positioning content that helps broader go-to-market teams win.

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