Principal Security Researcher

Security represents the most critical priorities for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft Security aspires to make the world a safer place for all. We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud that protects them with end to end, simplified solutions. The Microsoft Security organization accelerates Microsoft's mission and bold ambitions to ensure that our company and industry is securing digital technology platforms, devices, and clouds in our customers' heterogeneous environments, as well as ensuring the security of our own internal estate. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world.

Join the Security Platform and AI Teamand help shape the future of Microsoft's defenses. Are you a systems-level thinker who can outmaneuver adversaries and ship protections at planet scale? Are you passionate about securing consumers and enterprises alike? Become an integral member of the Security Platform and AI team. Our mission is to ensure Microsoft's rapidly evolving security and AI tools have the highest bar for safety and security.

We're hiring aPrincipal Security Researcher to serve as a local expert in threat modelling, secure coding and AI deployment, and risk evaluation. You'll develop and lead cross-functional security programs, partner with Microsoft-wide security and safety initiatives, be at the forefront of securing AI tools like Security Copilot, and building strong relationships with the engineering teams to get ahead of problems rather than just reacting to them.

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

ThisHybrid Positionis located at ourMicrosoft office inRedmond, Washington. Relocation support will be provided, and successful candidateswill need to relocate or residewithin 50 miles of the field location.

• Lead advanced security researchinto threat management for new AI tools like Security Copilot and our security data lake Sentinel Graph.
• Design and validate mitigationsby partnering with engineering teams to translate research findings into shipped protections.
• Investigate critical security issues(root cause, motivation, impact) and elevate findings to influence product and strategy decisions.
• Drive cross-functional collaborationwith internal teams and external partners (industry, academia, government) to advance security standards.
• Publish responsibly and patent IPto strengthen Microsoft's security leadership while balancing disclosure risk.
• Mentor and guide researchers and engineers, fostering technical growth and alignment with Microsoft's security priorities.
• Influence organizational best practicesby synthesizing research into actionable recommendations and driving adoption.
• Develop detection and hunting strategiesleveraging telemetry, threat intelligence, and advanced analytics.
• Champion innovationin proactive defense, including AI-assisted security research and automation.
• Represent Microsoft externallythrough thought leadership, conference talks, and contributions to the security research community.

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or related field AND 3+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection
  • OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or related field AND 4+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or related field AND 6+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection
  • OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or related field
  • OR 8+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, modeling, cybersecurity, and/or anomaly detection.
• 1+ years experience with generative AI/LLM frameworks for security applications
• 1+ years experience with regex, Kusto, and/or SQL for log analysis
• 7+ years experience publishing research outputs or contributing to security tooling
• 7+ years in applied security research or application security
• 7+ years leading security initiatives with proven impact on engineering practices
• 7+ years mentoring and building security knowledge and practice within partner teams

#MSFTSecurity

Security Research IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.