Senior Security Researcher
Microsoft
USD 119,800-234,700 / year
Posted on May 30, 2025
Senior Security Researcher
Multiple Locations, United States
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Date posted
May 29, 2025
Job number
1826708
Work site
Up to 100% work from home
Travel
0-25 %
Role type
Individual Contributor
Profession
Security Engineering
Discipline
Security Research
Employment type
Full-Time
Overview
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.
The MSTIC Intelligence Graph Research team is responsible for defending Microsoft Cloud and our customers through innovation in security graph research and abuse identification. Defending Microsoft Coud’s complex environment provides a unique opportunity to research, build and evaluate autonomous graph powered defense through emerging generative AI capabilities. This dedicated team of security aims to provide real-time measurements of risks, discovery of emerging threats and empower response. We are seeking a highly skilled professional with the following qualifications:
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.
In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.
Qualifications
- Required Qualifications:
- 5+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, modeling, cybersecurity, and/or anomaly detection
- OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or related field.
Experience in cloud security, with deep knowledge of cloud infrastructure, identity management, and security event analysis.
Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing taxonomies and ontologies to structure and interconnect complex IT and security data for risk assessment, threat analysis, and incident response.
Proven ability to build and maintain large, multi-domain graph databases to model cloud assets, identities, activities, anomalous behaviors, and attack paths.
Practical experience in red teaming or penetration testing within Windows and Azure environments, with a strong understanding of the latest cybersecurity threats and offensive security tools.
5+ years of experience in the security domain, including both detailed understanding of attacker techniques and tracking the threat actors behind specific campaigns.
3+ years of hands-on experience with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems or other big data pipelines, including proficiency in Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes for analyzing large volumes of security logs and events.
2+ years of experience tracking APT or top tier eCrime adversaries leveraging the Diamond Model to identify and characterize various TTPs, capabilities, infrastructure, and operational campaigns.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 6+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, modeling, cybersecurity, and/or anomaly detection
- OR Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or related field
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
Familiarity with advanced cloud security practices and protocols.
Security Research IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 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
Microsoft will accept applications for the role until June 6th, 2025.
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
Microsoft will accept applications for the role until June 6th, 2025.
#GRAPH #MSFTSecurity
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain an interconnected ontology of taxonomies tailored for use in a large graph database supporting security applications.
Design and model nodes and edges to represent assets, vulnerabilities, networks, and activities for risk management and threat analysis.
Leverage graph queries, data science techniques, and attacker methodologies to identify and demonstrate multi-domain attack paths and strengthen organizational defenses.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
Industry leading healthcare
Educational resources
Discounts on products and services
Savings and investments
Maternity and paternity leave
Generous time away
Giving programs
Opportunities to network and connect
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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.