Principal Security Researcher

Overview

Microsoft Security Research brings together deep security expertise, threat intelligence, and Microsoft’s unique security telemetry to understand the evolving threat landscape and improve protection for customers. We are looking for a Principal Security Researcher to lead research across the Microsoft Defender ecosystem and partner with teams across Microsoft Security to transform these signals into high-confidence, actionable security intelligence.

Working closely with threat intelligence experts, data and applied scientists, engineers, and product teams, you will combine threat knowledge with large-scale security data to develop customer-specific finished intelligence and broader insights into emerging threats, attacker behavior, exposure, and protection trends.

The role goes beyond identifying what the data shows: you will provide the deep security research judgment needed to determine what matters, why it matters, and what SOC practitioners and security leaders can do about it. You will work directly with customer-facing teams and security practitioners to rapidly test new intelligence concepts, incorporate real-world feedback, and iterate on what delivers the greatest value.

You will also leverage AI to accelerate research and analysis, rapidly prototype new intelligence capabilities, and help turn successful approaches into scalable solutions. Through this work, you will establish analytical methodologies and quality standards and help translate novel research into durable capabilities across customer engagements, Microsoft security products and services, and emerging AI-powered security experiences.

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.

Responsibilities

Lead research that transforms threat intelligence and large-scale security telemetry into actionable security intelligence, identifying emerging threats and attacker behavior, assessing customer impact and protection effectiveness, and translating complex evidence into defensible conclusions and prioritized actions for security practitioners and leaders.

Establish and evolve analytical methodologies, research standards, and quality criteria that enable rigorous, repeatable, and scalable analysis and set a high bar for customer-specific and broader finished intelligence.

Work across Microsoft Defender and partner teams across Microsoft, bringing together security research, threat intelligence, data and applied science, engineering, and product expertise to turn novel research and analytical approaches into durable security capabilities.

Rapidly prototype, validate, and iterate on new intelligence capabilities, incorporating feedback from customers and security practitioners while leveraging AI to accelerate research, analysis, experimentation, and the path from concept to scalable solution.

Provide Principal-level technical and industry leadership by shaping research direction, mentoring researchers, communicating complex findings to technical and executive audiences, and influencing security investments and product direction through research insights.

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 background and Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or related field AND 5+ 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 8+ 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 12+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection

OR equivalent experience.

Experience conducting hands-on security research involving one or more of the following: threat analysis, threat intelligence, security telemetry analysis, incident investigation, threat hunting, detection engineering, or vulnerability research.

Experience analyzing security telemetry or other large-scale security datasets to investigate threats, assess security impact, or develop and validate security research conclusions.

Experience applying AI, machine learning, large language models, or agentic workflows to security research, threat analysis, or security operations.

#MSFTSecurity

Security Research IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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.

Insights from previous hires

Top skills: Adoption, Business Development, Business, Art, Analytics, Science, People Management, People Development, Microsoft Office, Leadership

Common previous titles: Principal Security Researcher, Principal Researcher, Principal Threat Analyst, Principal Cyber Defense Analyst, Principal Strategic Security Consultant, Business Program Manager, Manager Partner, Senior Director, Vice President Product Management, Vice President