Staff Security Research Engineer

About Us We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers including 87 of the Fortune 100 rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work At Proofpoint you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate, Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities, Accountable for results and best‑in‑class outcomes, Visionary in future‑focused problem‑solving, Exceptional in execution and impact. The role This highly technical role has a direct and real‑time impact on protecting Proofpoint customers. As a Staff Security Research Engineer on Proofpoint’s Threat Research team you’ll be part of an amazing collaborative industry‑leading team focused on tracking threat actors, malware, phishing and TTPs to develop static and dynamic (behavioural) signatures that detect and prevent threats on a massive scale. If you enjoy keeping abreast of and analysing attacker techniques, malware and phishing campaigns and using that knowledge to counteract those threats on a broad scale then this is the role for you. This role has an absolute and direct impact on the efficacy of Proofpoint products, the quality of Proofpoint’s intelligence and the protection of Proofpoint customers. Your day-to-day Stay abreast of a constantly evolving threat landscape, including the credential phishing landscape. Analyse malware, malicious documents and malicious URLs provided by internal and external sources. Conduct in‑depth analysis of email messages to detect and classify threats such as business email compromise (BEC), phishing and other malicious campaigns. Apply critical thinking skills to identify the most efficient and effective way to mitigate the analysed threat. Develop, test and deploy appropriate static and/or behavioural signatures to mitigate the analysed threat. Identify, prioritise and fill coverage gaps for relevant threats to minimise customer impact. Respond to customer FN/FP escalations that cannot be addressed by customer support. Work effectively as part of a remote team using chat, video chat and conference calls. Work with engineering teams defining requirements for the continuous improvement of critical detection capabilities. What you bring to the team A passion for threat research and a well‑rounded yet deep understanding of the security threat landscape. Demonstrable understanding of the malware and credential phishing landscape, TTPs and experience overcoming bypass techniques. Experience proactively identifying, responding to and defending against malware and credential phishing threats in production environments. Familiarity with browser internals and the Document Object Model. Broad and demonstrable understanding of document formats commonly used for malicious purposes (e.g., OLE, CDFv2, PDF, OpenOffice, RTF). Experience parsing and analysing malicious documents. Experience leveraging sandbox environments as an analysis tool. Critical thinking: Able to develop high‑quality detection signatures based on analysis of malicious behaviour. Experience creating YARA and/or ClamAV signatures used in production environments. Regular expression wizardry. Intermediate‑level Python experience. Interest in learning sandbox engineering concepts and contributing ideas to extend capabilities (a plus). Interest in creating synthetic malicious samples to test capabilities (a plus). Willing and able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a distributed team of industry‑leading security researchers. A hard‑working self‑directed team player fully capable of working remotely. Why Proofpoint At Proofpoint we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Competitive compensation Comprehensive benefits Learning & Development: We are committed to the growth and development of our team members, offering a range of programs including leadership and professional development workshops, stretch project assignments and mentoring opportunities to help employees reach their full potential. Flexible work environment: Remote options, hybrid schedules, flexible hours, etc. Annual wellness and community outreach days. Always on recognition for your contributions. Global collaboration and networking opportunities. Our Culture Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive success—every day for everyone. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process please reach out to us. Employment Type Full-Time Experience years Vacancy 1 #J-18808-Ljbffr