Microsoft · 11 hours ago
Principal Security Researcher
Redmond, WA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$140K/yr - $275K/yr
6+ years expMicrosoft is a global leader in technology and security, committed to making the digital world safer. The Principal Security Researcher will lead advanced security research, develop cross-functional security programs, and ensure the highest standards of safety and security for Microsoft's AI tools.
Agentic AIApplication Performance ManagementArtificial Intelligence (AI)Business DevelopmentDevOpsInformation ServicesInformation TechnologyManagement Information SystemsNetwork SecuritySoftware
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Lead advanced security research into threat management for new AI tools like Security Copilot and our security data lake Sentinel Graph
Design and validate mitigations by 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 collaboration with internal teams and external partners (industry, academia, government) to advance security standards
Publish responsibly and patent IP to 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 practices by synthesizing research into actionable recommendations and driving adoption
Develop detection and hunting strategies leveraging telemetry, threat intelligence, and advanced analytics
Champion innovation in proactive defense, including AI-assisted security research and automation
Represent Microsoft externally through thought leadership, conference talks, and contributions to the security research community
Qualification
Required
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
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role
Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter
Preferred
Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or related field
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
Benefits
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.
Company
Microsoft
Microsoft is a software corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$1MKey Investors
Technology Venture Investors
2022-12-09Post Ipo Equity
1986-03-13IPO
1981-09-01Series Unknown· $1M
Leadership Team
Satya Nadella
Chairman and CEO
Vukani Mngxati
Chief Executive Officer - Microsft South Africa
Recent News
2026-01-16
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2026-01-16
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