Job description

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. NEXT is the incubation and research arm of Microsoft Security AI (MSECAI), building the next generation of AI-native security products. In just 18 months, we've driven the science behind Microsoft Security Copilot and delivered foundational and specialized models. We take ideas from zero-to-one (0→1) prototypes to Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), and then scale them one-to-many (1→N) across Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Entra, Intune, and Purview. We are seeking a **Principal AI Engineering Manager** to lead and grow a high-impact team focused on building AI-first security experiences and platform capabilities. You will define the multi-year strategy, guide technical execution, and foster a culture of innovation, velocity, and quality. You will orchestrate cross-discipline, cross-organization teams to deliver responsible, high-quality AI features and initiatives end to end, while engaging engage directly with customers and stakeholders to drive adoption and impact. _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._ • *Responsibilities** + Strategic Leadership: Define and drive the technical vision, strategy, and roadmap for AI-native security incubation initiatives. Align stakeholders across Security Copilot, Defender, Sentinel, Entra, Purview, Azure AI Foundry, and Microsoft AI to deliver cohesive customer value. + Team Building & Management: Build and lead a high-performing engineering team. Mentor and grow talent, foster a builder culture, and create an inclusive environment that encourages innovation and excellence. + End-to-End Execution: Lead zero-to-one (0→1) incubation through MVP and private preview, then drive one-to-many (1→N) platformization and scale to GA. Make principled tradeoffs across quality, latency, reliability, cost, and safety. + Technical Oversight: Provide hands-on technical guidance, review designs, code implementation and PRs, define APIs/data contracts, architect scalable systems, and establish evaluation frameworks to de-risk complex systems. + AI Strategy & Architecture: Set direction for AI-native security experiences and platform components, LLMs vs classical ML, RAG design, grounding, model routing/fallbacks, and safety guardrails to meet customer outcomes and SLOs. + Responsible AI & Compliance: Ensure privacy, security, and Responsible AI guardrails are designed in from day one. Coordinate safety reviews, abuse prevention, compliance, and incident readiness. + Partner and Customer Engagement: Engage directly with technical product partners and their customers to co-design solutions, land adoption, and iterate based on feedback and telemetry. Communicate program status and strategy to executives with hands-on demos. • *Qualifications** • *Required/minimum qualifications:** + Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python + OR equivalent experience. + 6+ years of experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and managing engineering teams. + 3+ years working with Machine Learning (ML)/Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems (e.g., Large Language Models (LLMs)/Generative AI (GenAI), retrieval/Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), model serving, experimentation platforms, data pipelines) including establishing evaluation metrics and improving model quality. + 6+ years people management experience • *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:** + Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience. + Proven track record of shipping cloud services or platforms at scale with measurable customer and business impact. + Security domain expertise (e.g., threat detection/response, SIEM/SOAR, identity, endpoint, cloud security). + Experience with GenAI/LLM techniques and tooling (prompt engineering, retrieval/vector stores, agents/tool use, content safety/guardrails, eval frameworks). Hands-on coding ability in one or more languages (e.g., Python, C#, C++, Rust, JavaScript/TypeScript). + Ability to influence leaders and make data-informed decisions. + Demonstrated success driving 0→1 initiatives from ambiguity to MVP to GA and scaling across multiple product teams. What makes a great Principal AI Engineering Manager here + Knowledige of when to use LLMs vs classical ML and how to hybridize them with retrieval, caching, routing, and fallbacks. + Define the right metrics and datasets, builds eval harnesses, and insists on measurable improvements. + Turns ambiguous ideas into MVPs, then leads GA platformization and integration across Microsoft Security products. + Translate defender workflows into crisp specs and iterates quickly based on feedback. + Ability to creates clarity in ambiguity, aligns diverse stakeholders, and mentors others to raise the bar. Software Engineering M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 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 for the role until September 28, 2025. \#MSFTSecurity #MSECAI #AI #SecurityAI #GenerativeAI #Cybersecurity #ResponsibleAI #Azure #MSECAI Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .

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