Senior Security Researcher - Microsoft Defender

Overview

As cyber threats continue to grow in sophistication, frequency, and impact, we are looking for a passionate and highly skilled security researcher to join our Israeli research team within Microsoft Defender.

In this role, you will work at the forefront of automated attack disruption, developing capabilities that detect and respond to advanced threats in real time, regardless of the attack workflow or stage in the kill chain. You will examine diverse and complex signals across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, hunting for emerging adversary techniques, uncovering novel patterns of malicious behavior, and transforming research findings into practical, scalable protection. Your work will span from the earliest ideation stages to production-ready, customer-facing capabilities: researching and modeling attack techniques, identifying the necessary telemetry, designing robust detection logic, and ensuring that our automated disruption mechanisms can respond effectively in real-world conditions. This is an opportunity to have a direct impact on the security of organizations worldwide by building autonomous defense systems that stay ahead of evolving threats and protect customers at scale. You will collaborate closely with engineers, threat analysts, and product teams, bringing creativity and rigor to the challenge of stopping some of the most advanced attacks in the industry before they can cause harm. Our team values diversity and strives to hire individuals with varied experiences and perspectives. We understand that no candidate possesses every desired skill and experience, but together, we form a strong, effective team.

Responsibilities

Provide cybersecurity expertise as needed during security escalations and incidents to help protect Microsoft and our customers
Proactively hunt across diverse signal sources — including on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments
Stay current with the latest cyberattack trends and design robust, sophisticated detection logic across the full attacker kill-chain.
Build and implement innovative automated disruption capabilities that autonomously detect and mitigate attacks in real time.
Collaborate with engineering and product teams to design security sensors, validate protection ideas, and measure effectiveness using data-driven approaches.
Contribute to the broader security community by authoring technical blogs, sharing research findings, and presenting at leading security conferences.

Qualifications

You have at least 8+ years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity research, preferably in Cloud, endpoint or Identity-based threat scenarios.
Familiarity with cloud environments (e.g., Azure, AWS) and understanding of security challenges in hybrid or multi-cloud infrastructures.
Strong grasp of modern attacker techniques, including MITRE ATT&CK and full kill-chain methodologies.
Experience in threat hunting across diverse signal sources (on-prem, hybrid, and cloud).

Preferred Requirements

BS or higher degree preferred
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with experience working in cross-functional, global teams.
Curious, analytical mindset with the ability to thrive in ambiguous and evolving threat landscapes.
Coding proficiency in at least one of the following: C, C++, C, Python, or Rust.

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.