The Customer Security & Trust (CST) team is looking for a cybersecurity intelligence analyst, with fluency in the Persian language and extensive knowledge of Iranian politics, policy and culture.  CST is a part of Microsoft’s Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) and leads much of Microsoft’s work to ensure that our customers are protected from the actions of advanced and persistent adversaries.  Nation state and advanced cybersecurity threats are occurring with greater frequency, and at times, greater complexity.  Understanding the threats, motivations and the geopolitical consequences of these threats is an essential part of our approach to protecting our customers, the computing ecosystem, and Microsoft itself. 

Role:

In this role, the analyst will work closely with the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) and other cybersecurity organizations at Microsoft in the analysis of and reporting on activities related to threat actors in the Iranian-language sphere.  This analyst will bring significant understanding of the geopolitical issues, motivations and strategies of Iranian actors to produce reports and analysis for use internally and externally.  This analyst will partner closely with MSTIC experts on cyber threats in the Iranian area of influence, and create world-class analysis that helps shape our response, protections, and understanding of threats and risks to our customers, and to Microsoft.  The reports and information created by this role will be used and shared internally and externally with executives, customers, and others in the security community.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify current and emerging cyber threats and trends on a variety of cyber security topics by researching and analyzing data/intelligence from cross company sources.
• Research, assess, and report on Iranian geopolitical priorities and perspectives, threat actors, capabilities, motivations and targeting.
• Research, analyze, and compose reports, including threat estimates, related to Iranian geopolitical, cyber security, and transnational events and threats and their corresponding impacts.
• Conduct and report analysis and scenario forecasting at both the tactical and strategic level.
• Collaborate with all security teams cross company providing regional expertise and analysis on projects and reports related to cybersecurity. 

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated fluency in the Persian language. 
• 3+ years of experience in working in threat analysis or intelligence.
• Deep collaboration experience with front-line actor analysts.
• In-depth technical knowledge of Iranian adversary capabilities, infrastructure, and techniques and political / geopolitical issues in the Iranian sphere of influence.
• Strong writing skills, including experience in taking complex technical concepts and making them consumable and relatable to broader groups of readers.
• Current (or ability to receive/maintain) US Government security clearance.   

Preferred Experience:

• 3+ years producing actionable threat intelligence and written analysis, reports, and products.
• Proven ability to build strategic relationships with key threat intelligence partners in government and industry.
• Ability to transform diverse data, context and information into intelligence products, reports, and analysis that can be consumed by both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Delivers written material and presentations to internal and external audiences.
• Ability to quickly and efficiently sort through data to identify key issues or variables to consider in making important strategic decisions.
• Excellent cross-group collaborator with strong organizational skills, quickly understanding and meeting needs of customer and peer teams.
• Ability to effectively multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
• Exposure to other actor sets and languages also of interest.

If hired for this position, the team you would be joining is part of our Cloud organization/ and or works with government contracts and as such has a unique background check requirement, detailed below. Please note you will be provided with steps for completing the check if you accept a role on the team.

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 Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.  
• Citizenship Verification: This position requires verification of US Citizenship to meet federal government security requirements. 

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.