As a Senior Security Researcher on the Microsoft Threat Protection Research Purple Team, you will design and execute realistic attack simulations across various environments to test and improve security defenses. Your day-to-day involves developing custom offensive tools, conducting malware research, and leveraging threat intelligence to create effective adversary emulation scenarios using MITRE ATT&CK frameworks. You will also utilize AI-driven systems to automate and scale simulation processes, ensuring high-fidelity attacks that help identify defensive gaps. Additionally, you will collaborate with blue team members and detection engineers to validate findings and enhance security measures, while contributing to internal knowledge sharing through detailed reports and documentation. This role requires expertise in coding, red team operations, threat intelligence research, and experience with large language models or machine learning, making it ideal for those passionate about advancing cybersecurity in an AI-first environment.
Skills
Python
C++
MITRE ATT&CK
AI
LLM
Threat Intelligence
Malware Development
Adversary Emulation
TTP Analysis
Cybersecurity
Vulnerability Research
Anomaly Detection
Agentic Systems
Simulation Reporting
Technical Documentation
Collaboration Tools
What you'll do
Design and execute adversary simulations across various environments to emulate real-world threats.
Develop and modify offensive tooling, including custom malware and C2 frameworks, for attack simulations.
Conduct research on modern attacker techniques to enhance simulation fidelity and realism.
Utilize AI systems to generate diverse attack scenarios and automate tradecraft execution.
Analyze telemetry from simulations to assess detection coverage and identify defensive gaps.
Contribute to technical documentation and internal knowledge sharing within the team.
What we're looking for
Doctorate or Master's degree in a relevant technical field and extensive experience in cybersecurity.
3+ years of coding experience with proficiency in software development lifecycle.
Proven track record in red team operations, adversary emulation, and offensive security research.
Experience with large language models and machine learning methods for threat analysis.
Solid background in performing threat intelligence research and applying MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Hold relevant security certifications such as OSCP, OSWE, GPEN, GREM, or GCPN.
Market check
Salary context
This
$119,800–$234,700
range sits above
71%
of similar postings on FindRole.
Peer median band
$119,800–$234,700
Median floor and ceiling across peers.
Typical midpoint (25–75%)
$142,400–$184,900
Middle half of comparable postings.
Based on 240 comparable postings.*
* 240 is the maximum number of comparable postings sampled.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
451 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 417 roles with salary data.
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MALWARE ANALYSIS