Senior Security Researcher

Overview Do you enjoy the challenge of discovering and analyzing vulnerabilities in software and services to understand how they work and how to fix them? Are you excited by the idea of analyzing real-world exploits and researching new attack techniques? Are you passionate about developing new tools and techniques to scale vulnerability research to meet real-world demands?

Do you want to be part of an inclusive & collaborative team that invests in the growth and success of one another? The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) is responsible for detecting, protecting, and responding to threats that affect Microsoft’s products and services.

We are looking for a motivated Senior Security Researcher to join our team!

As part of the MSRC, our team (Vulnerability & Mitigations Team) is responsible for analyzing vulnerabilities found in Microsoft’s products and services to determine their root cause, severity, and security impact. This analysis plays a critical role in shaping the security updates that are deployed to customers.

Our research projects cover a range of topics including vulnerability discovery & automation, exploit and vulnerability mitigations, exploit development, operating systems security (Windows and Linux), virtualization security, and hardware vulnerabilities and mitigations.This is a unique opportunity to have a positive impact on improving safety for customers around the world and to work on challenging real-world security problems as part of a supportive and collaborative team.

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.

Responsibilities

As a member of the MSRC team, you will play a vital role in enhancing the security of Microsoft products and services.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Analyze critical security vulnerabilities reported by security researchers from around the world and provide guidance on remediation.
• Detect, reverse engineer and patch live exploits reported to MSRC.
• Use state of the art AI tooling to find and analyze vulnerabilities at scale.
• Develop new tools and techniques to improve vulnerability analysis workflows.
• Innovate in security mitigations to make Microsoft products and services more resilient to attacks.
• Gain insights from incoming bug trends to inform security research for the team, as well as influence the broader Microsoft security strategy.
• Work with and learn from experts across Microsoft and grow your career in security in a motivated and supportive team.

Required Qualifications

• 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.

Other Requirements

Candidates must be able 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 Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications

We are looking for a senior security researcher who is passionate about security research in Windows platforms. You should have some of the following qualifications:

• Experience in security research on Windows/Linux systems.
• An ability to read, understand and debug C and/or C++ code.
• Proficiency in developing tools and automation to identify or verify security issues, and scaling analysis workflows using AI and traditional methods.
• Knowledge of software security vulnerabilities, how they can be exploited, and how they can be prevented.
• Ability to initiate, lead and deliver prototypes, systems improvements and/or research.

#MSRC

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 $160,200 - $261,000 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

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.