Staff Security Researcher

BeyondTrust is a place where you can bring your purpose to life through the work that you do, creating a safer world through our cybersecurity SaaS portfolio. Our culture of flexibility, trust, and continual learning means you will be recognized for your growth, and for the impact you make on our success. You will be surrounded by people who challenge, support, and inspire you to be the best version of yourself. The 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 • Build production-grade security systems with emphasis on scalability, reliability, and performance optimization • Implement and maintain detection pipelines using PySpark, Spark SQL, and distributed computing frameworks • 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 • Strong Python programming skills with experience in large-scale data processing • Proficiency in SQL and database optimization techniques • 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 • Experience in engineering event detection and response systems with focus on tuning and optimization Preferred Qualifications • Big data processing experience with Apache Spark, Databricks, or similar distributed computing platforms • Background in security research with published findings or conference presentations • Knowledge of cloud security, containerization, and modern infrastructure technologies • Experience with graph databases and network analysis techniques • Familiarity with machine learning applications in cybersecurity • Track record of speaking at technical conferences or contributing to security research publications Technologies You Should Know Required • Python • SQL and database technologies • Distributed data processing frameworks Preferred • Apache Spark / PySpark • Databricks platform • Graph databases and analysis tools • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) • Containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) • Machine learning frameworks and libraries What Makes This Role Unique This position offers a rare opportunity to work at the cutting edge of identity security research while building systems that protect organizations worldwide. You'll have the freedom to pursue novel research directions, the resources to implement your ideas at scale, and the platform to share your expertise with the broader security community. We're looking for someone who thrives on solving hard problems, values engineering excellence, and wants to make a meaningful impact on the future of cybersecurity. Better Together Diversity. Inclusion. They’re more than just words for us. They are the guiding values of how we build our teams, cultivate leaders, and create a culture where people feel connected. We take care of our employees so they can take care of our customers. Customers who come from all walks of life just like us. We hire incredible people from diverse backgrounds because when we are different together, we are stronger together. About Us BeyondTrust is the global identity security leader protecting Paths to Privilege™. Our identity-centric approach goes beyond securing privileges and access, empowering organizations with the most effective solution to manage the entire identity attack surface and neutralize threats, whether from external attacks or insiders. BeyondTrust is leading the charge in transforming identity security to prevent breaches and limit the blast radius of attacks, while creating a superior customer experience and operational efficiencies. We are trusted by 20,000 customers, including 75 of the Fortune 100, and our global ecosystem of partners. Learn more at www.beyondtrust.com. #LI-BS1 Apply tot his job