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 Microsoft Security AI (Artificial Intelligence) Research team is responsible for defending Microsoft and our customers through applied AI innovation. 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. Defending Microsoft’s complex environment provides a unique opportunity to build and evaluate autonomous defense through emerging generative AI capabilities. Microsoft understands and learns from its own defensive expertise, including via teams like Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), and has the opportunity to build a unique knowledge graph describing the relationship between risk, investigation, and response. This data, built over Microsoft’s complex digital estate, along with the Microsoft AI forms the foundation ifor innovative solutions to defend Microsoft.

We are looking for a Senior Applied Scientist to join a newly created applied science team to reshape how we defend Microsoft. This will require deep technical innovation across Microsoft, academia and industry. You will collaborate with world-class researchers to develop novel methods, tools, and frameworks for demonstrating defensive capabilities. You will collaborate with internal and external partners to apply your research to real-world scenarios and challenges. You will have the opportunity to publish your work in top-tier venues and contribute to the scientific community and the broader society. For those passionate about making a meaningful impact in the security industry, don’t miss this opportunity to join the team working on the latest AI technology and applicability.

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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related experience (e.g., statistics predictive analytics, research)
OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 1+ year(s) related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
OR equivalent experience.
2+ years of experience in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or other machine learning frameworks.
2+ years of relevant industry experience driving cutting-edge research into real world impact.

Other Requirements

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.

Preferred Qualifications

Written and verbal communication skills, ability to simplify and explain complex ideas.
2+ years of experience in research areas such as generative AI/ agentic frameworks, large language models, risk quantification, anomaly detection, clustering, statistics, time series analysis, reinforcement learning, or graph algorithms.
Experience in safety and ethical aspects of AI.
Experience in technology transfer of applied research. Experience conducting high-quality research and publishing.
Experience in working with large-scale datasets.
Experience in applying machine learning to security and safety domains, such as malware detection, fraud prevention, or cyber-physical systems.
Background in cyber security including knowledge of adversary tradecraft, emerging threats, or SOC operations.

Applied Sciences IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $117,200 - $229,200 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 $153,600 - $250,200 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 and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

#MSFTSecurity #MSECAIR #LLMS #GenerativeAI #AgenticAI #AgenticFrameworks #KnowledgeGraphs #SecurityTradecraft

Responsibilities

Conduct cutting-edge research that builds towards transformative defensive security capabilities with demonstrated scientific rigor.
Work with defenders, threat hunters, PMs, and engineers to turn research into effective solutions that improve our ability to protect ourselves.
Share research findings and innovations through academic publications, open-source releases, blog posts, patents, and industry conferences. 
Participate in partnerships with academia and industry to advance the state of the art in the field

Other

Embody our Culture and Values

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.