Principal Security Researcher

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

3d • $142,800 - $304,200

About The Position

Microsoft Security Research combines security expertise, threat intelligence, and Microsoft security telemetry to understand threats and improve customer protection. The Principal Security Researcher leads research across the Microsoft Defender ecosystem and partners with Microsoft Security teams to turn signals into high-confidence, actionable security intelligence. Working with threat intelligence experts, data and applied scientists, engineers, product teams, customer-facing teams, and security practitioners, the role combines threat knowledge and large-scale security data to produce customer-specific intelligence and broader insights into emerging threats, attacker behavior, exposure, and protection trends.

The position applies research judgment to determine the significance of findings and identify actions for security operations practitioners and security leaders. It tests and refines intelligence concepts with customers and practitioners, uses AI to accelerate analysis and prototype capabilities, and develops approaches into scalable solutions. The role establishes analytical methodologies and quality standards and translates research into durable capabilities for customer engagements, Microsoft security products and services, and AI-powered security experiences. It also provides Principal-level technical and industry leadership by shaping research direction, mentoring researchers, communicating findings, and influencing security investments and product direction.

Requirements

• Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or a related field and 3+ years of experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection; or a master's degree in one of these fields and 4+ years of such experience; or a bachelor's degree in one of these fields and 6+ years of such experience; or equivalent experience.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Nice To Haves

• Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or a related field and 5+ years of experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection; or a master's degree in one of these fields and 8+ years of such experience; or a bachelor's degree in one of these fields and 12+ years of such experience; or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on security research experience in one or more of 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead research that turns 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 evidence into defensible conclusions and prioritized actions.
• Establish and evolve analytical methodologies, research standards, and quality criteria for rigorous, repeatable, scalable analysis and high-quality finished intelligence.
• Work across Microsoft Defender and partner teams to combine security research, threat intelligence, data and applied science, engineering, and product expertise and turn research into durable security capabilities.
• Prototype, validate, and iterate on intelligence capabilities using customer and practitioner feedback and AI to accelerate research, analysis, and experimentation.
• Shape research direction, mentor researchers, communicate complex findings to technical and executive audiences, and influence security investments and product direction through research insights.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal