Staff Security Researcher

Role

As a Staff Research Engineer, you'll drive the evolution of our identity security platform by combining cutting-edge security research with robust engineering practices. You'll work at the intersection of security domain expertise and software development, translating novel research findings into production-ready systems that protect our customers from sophisticated identity-based threats. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of identity security through innovative research, scalable engineering solutions, and thought leadership in the security community.

What You'll Do

Research & Innovation

• Conduct original security research to identify emerging identity attack vectors and develop novel detection methodologies
• Design and implement advanced analytics including rule-based systems, behavioral analysis, and machine learning models for threat detection
• Expand and optimize our large-scale entitlement graph systems that map privilege escalation paths across customer environments
• Develop proactive recommendation engines that identify security misconfigurations before they become attack vectors

Engineering & Implementation

• Utilize graph theory to build entitlement paths from new areas of research across multiple domains
• Integrate AI usage into engineering workflows to optimize efficiency
• Design custom data representations (graphs, time-series, etc.) to support advanced analytical capabilities
• Establish engineering best practices including comprehensive unit testing, automation, and CI/CD pipelines

Data Analysis & Optimization

• Explore large-scale customer datasets using Spark and Databricks to validate detection hypotheses and uncover new threat patterns
• Continuously monitor and tune detection algorithms based on real-world telemetry and performance metrics
• Collaborate with data science teams to integrate machine learning models into production detection systems
• Optimize system performance to handle massive data volumes efficiently

Leadership & Knowledge Sharing

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to product and engineering teams
• Present research findings at industry conferences and security forums
• Publish technical blogs and research papers to establish thought leadership
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate research insights into product roadmap priorities

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• Strong engineering background with proven experience developing and maintaining production security systems
• Experience working with SIEM tools, log analysis platforms, or similar security data systems
• Knowledge of adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and corresponding defensive strategies
• Background in security research with a focus on cloud, identity/IAM, or AI