Senior Security Researcher
About The Position
As a Senior Security Researcher in Microsoft Security's FORGE Lab (Frontier Offensive Research & Generative Exploitation), you will help shape the future of autonomous security engineering by combining offensive security research with frontier AI capabilities.The team builds systems such as MDASH, a multi-model agentic vulnerability discovery platform that autonomously identifies, validates, and proves exploitable vulnerabilities in software. Our work spans vulnerability research, automated exploit generation, AI-driven security workflows, and large-scale software ecosystem protection, helping Microsoft and its customers discover and remediate security risks faster than ever before. 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.
Requirements
- Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Security, or related field OR Master's Degree 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 Bachelor'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 equivalent experience.
- 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.
Nice To Haves
- 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 6+ 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 8+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat analysis or modeling, cybersecurity, vulnerability research, and/or anomaly detection.
- OR equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated experience in vulnerability research, vulnerability discovery, exploit development, reverse engineering, or offensive security research, including publicly disclosed CVEs or security advisories.
- Participation in recognized security competitions or research programs, such as Capture The Flag (CTF), DARPA AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC), Pwn2Own, or similar offensive security initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Conduct cutting-edge security research to discover, validate, and analyze vulnerabilities across Microsoft products, cloud services, and strategic open-source ecosystems.
- Design and develop scalable automation, AI-driven systems, and research tooling that accelerate vulnerability discovery, triage, and remediation workflows.
- Collaborate closely with engineering, product, and security teams to drive vulnerability mitigation, improve security posture, and reduce customer risk.
- Lead or contribute to offensive security assessments that identify emerging threat patterns, novel attack techniques, and systemic security weaknesses.
- Publish high-quality technical findings, influence in open source projects or large-scale software systems.
Benefits
- 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
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
