Staff Threat Researcher

Role

We are looking for a Staff Threat Researcher to join our team. This is a Hybrid role, reporting to the Senior Manager in the Threat Hunting department. You will analyze emerging threats, adversarial behaviors, and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to understand attacker methodologies and improve detection capabilities across our global ecosystem. This role requires conducting proactive and retroactive threat hunting using Zscaler telemetry while working flexible schedules, including weekend night shifts, to meet global operational demands.

What you’ll do (Role Expectations)

• Analyze emerging threats, adversarial behaviors, and TTPs to understand attacker methodologies and improve detection capabilities

• Conduct proactive and retroactive threat hunting using Zscaler telemetry and behavioral-based methodologies

• Research, analyze, validate, and clearly document all threat hunting findings

• Independently hunt and respond to customers while managing flexible operational schedules and on-call support

• Identify and translate adversary behavior into actionable hunt hypotheses and detection logic

Who You Are (Success Profile)

• You thrive in ambiguity. You're comfortable building the path as you walk it. You thrive in a dynamic environment, seeing ambiguity not as a hindrance, but as the raw material to build something meaningful.

• You act like an owner. Your passion for the mission fuels your bias for action. You operate with integrity because you genuinely care about the outcome. True ownership involves leveraging dynamic range: the ability to navigate seamlessly between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.

• You are a problem-solver. You love running towards the challenges because you are laser-focused on finding the solution, knowing that solving the hard problems delivers the biggest impact.

• You are a high-trust collaborator. You are ambitious for the team, not just yourself. You embrace our challenge culture by giving and receiving ongoing feedback—knowing that candor delivered with clarity and respect is the truest form of teamwork and the fastest way to earn trust.

• You are a learner. You have a true growth mindset and are obsessed with your own development, actively seeking feedback to become a better partner and a stronger teammate. You love what you do and you do it with purpose.

What We’re Looking for (Minimum Qualifications)

• Foundational understanding of AI/ML technologies and experience leveraging, securing, or positioning AI-driven solutions to optimize outcomes within your functional domain

• Hands-on experience in threat hunting, incident response, security operations, malware analysis, or network defense

• Practical experience using SIEM tools such as Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, or ElasticSearch

• Deep familiarity with the MITRE ATT&CK framework and modern Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)

• Proven ability to analyze adversary behavior and malware campaigns to translate findings into detection logic, supported by a Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent security experience

What Will Make You Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience leveraging AI/ML models, large language models (LLMs), or natural language processing (NLP) to automate threat intelligence synthesis, accelerate hunt hypothesis generation, or streamline the analysis of large-scale telemetry datasets

• Significant experience as a Senior Threat Hunter leading complex investigations and mentoring junior team members

• Advanced scripting and automation skills, specifically using Python, paired with expertise in writing IDS/IPS and YARA signatures for network-based threat detection

#LI-Hybrid #LI-PM5