Job description

Overview The Cloud & AI 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. Microsoft is one of the largest enterprise service companies in the world. Security remains a critical priority for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft 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 Cloud & AI 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. We're looking for a Principal Security Architect to help shape the future of Security Operations at the intersection of Identity, AI, and Security. In this role, you'll work across engineering, security, and business stakeholders to identify emerging risks, assess evolving technology trends, and translate strategic direction into scalable security capabilities. You will help define how Security Operations adapts to modern identity architectures, machine identities, AI-enabled services, and the next generation of authentication and authorization systems. Starting February, 2026, Microsoft employees are expected to work from a designated Microsoft office at least three days a week if they live within 50 miles (U.S.) or 25 miles (non-U.S., country-specific) of that location. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction. 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 What you'll do: • Analyze IAM, platform, and AI roadmap investments to identify future security needs. • Drive identity security strategy, threat modeling, and operational readiness. • Develop security operations frameworks for AI-enabled systems and agentic workloads. • Identify capability gaps and incubate new security approaches. • Partner across engineering and security teams to influence long-term security direction. Why This Role: This is an opportunity to help define the future of Security Operations for one of Microsoft's most critical security domains.You'll have the autonomy to explore where the business is going, identify what's next, and build the capabilities needed before they become operational requirements.If you're excited about the convergence of Identity, AI, and Security Operations and want to build what's next, we'd love to talk to you. Qualifications Required Qualifications: • Doctorate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field AND 3+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat modeling, cyber security, anomaly detection, Security Operations Center (SOC) detection, threat analytics, security incident and event management (SIEM), information technology (IT), or operations incident response • OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field AND 4+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat modeling, cyber security, anomaly detection, Security Operations Center (SOC) detection, threat analytics, security incident and event management (SIEM), information technology (IT), or operations incident response • OR Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field AND 6+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, threat modeling, cyber security, anomaly detection, Security Operations Center (SOC) detection, threat analytics, security incident and event management (SIEM), information technology (IT), or operations incident response • 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. • Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their U.S. permanent residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable. • Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This position requires verification of citizenship due to citizenship-based legal restrictions. Specifically, this position supports United States federal, state, and/or local government agency customers and is subject to certain citizenship-based restrictions where required or permitted by applicable law. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Preferred Qualifications: • Deep experience in Security Operations, Identity Security, or Cloud Security (preference in Azure). • Strong understanding of authentication, authorization, privileged access, and modern identity systems. • Proven ability to apply technical solutions to develop a programmatic strategy. • Experience securing AI (agents and blueprints), machine identities, or emerging cloud-native technologies. • Ability to navigate ambiguity and independently drive complex initiatives. • Demonstrated success influencing without authority across multiple. Security Operations Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: careers.microsoft.com 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.

Requirements

Must-haves

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.
Analyze IAM, platform, and AI roadmap investments to identify future security needs.
Drive identity security strategy, threat modeling, and operational readiness.
Develop security operations frameworks for AI-enabled systems and agentic workloads.
Identify capability gaps and incubate new security approaches.
Partner across engineering and security teams to influence long-term security direction.
Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Nice-to-haves

Deep experience in Security Operations, Identity Security, or Cloud Security (preference in Azure).
Strong understanding of authentication, authorization, privileged access, and modern identity systems.
Proven ability to apply technical solutions to develop a programmatic strategy.
Experience securing AI (agents and blueprints), machine identities, or emerging cloud-native technologies.
Ability to navigate ambiguity and independently drive complex initiatives.
Demonstrated success influencing without authority across multiple.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

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