Principal Cloud Network Engineering Manager

Job ID: 200047443Posted: 2026-08-07Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $142,800 - $274,800 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 3 days / week in-officeRole type: People ManagerTravel: Less than 25%Profession: Software EngineeringDiscipline: Cloud Network EngineeringCompany: MicrosoftOverviewMicrosoft Digital (MSD) builds and manages the critical products and services that Microsoft runs on. We boldly pursue big ideas that power transformational advances at Microsoft and for our customers, while helping Microsoft teams work smarter, faster, and more securely every day. Microsoft Digital employees have deep technical and business expertise, customer insights, and a clear point of view that comes from first-hand, large-scale experience with Microsoft and industry solutions. We are engineers, technology leaders and experts, digital transformation change agents, and customer advocates.We have exciting opportunities for you to innovate, influence, transform, inspire, and grow within our organization and we encourage you to apply to learn more!Do you want to lead the team building the future of AI-driven network defense for one of the world's largest enterprise environments? Network Defense Engineering is hiring a Principal Engineering Manager to lead AI-driven security operations and network defense engineering for Microsoft's enterprise network. This leader will manage a high-performing engineering team responsible for turning network telemetry, exposure data, threat signals, and operational workflows into scalable platforms, automations, detections, and agentic capabilities that reduce Microsoft security risk.This role is accountable for both people leadership and technical strategy. You will model, coach, and care for engineers and engineering leads while setting the direction for AI-assisted detection, security orchestration, vulnerability and exposure management, network device security posture, configuration compliance, incident response automation, and defense-in-depth controls across Microsoft's network and infrastructure environment.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.#MSD#MSDJOBSResponsibilitiesYou will lead, develop, and retain a diverse engineering team responsible for AI-driven security operations and network defense engineering. Model, coach, and care for engineers and engineering leads through clear expectations, quality feedback, career development, inclusive hiring, succession planning, and accountability for measurable outcomes.You will translate CISO priorities, Microsoft security standards, customer-zero needs, and enterprise risk into a prioritized technical roadmap. Partner with stakeholders to determine requirements, identify dependencies, develop designs, and coordinate project and release plans across products and teams.You will drive the strategy and execution for AI-assisted threat detection, security analytics, automated investigation, response orchestration, and remediation. Build scalable engineering systems that use telemetry, Kusto/KQL, security signals, configuration and vulnerability data, and agentic workflows to improve detection, prioritization, response, and executive visibility.You will lead network defense programs spanning security research, vulnerability and exposure management, device security posture, segmentation, control-plane protections, ACL enforcement, AAA, credential hygiene, secure configuration, and compliance readiness. Hold teams accountable for security, reliability, privacy, quality, scale, and performance expectations.You will guide teams in producing secure, extensible, maintainable solutions, automation, test and quality processes, telemetry, runbooks, and operational readiness practices. Apply product and business judgment to prioritize investments, balance operational needs with long-term modernization, and improve performance, maintainability, and return on investment.You will provide technical and organizational leadership during complex, high-impact security incidents by directing cross-product triage, containment, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and durable prevention. Ensure teams have the expertise, tools, and readiness to respond effectively and prevent recurrence through automation and design improvements.You will build coalitions across Microsoft Digital, Security, CISO organizations, Azure, networking, infrastructure, product, compliance, and operations teams. Resolve cross-organizational differences, communicate clearly in executive and security forums, remove blockers, and deliver measurable improvements in risk reduction, resilience, compliance posture, detection and remediation time, and operational efficiency.QualificationsRequired Qualifications:Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or PythonOR equivalent experience.Preferred Qualifications:3+ years of people management experience leading engineering teams or technical leads.Experience leading security, network defense, incident response, vulnerability management, or security operations programs in large-scale enterprise, cloud, or hybrid environments.Experience building or operating automated, telemetry-driven, or software-based solutions for security operations, detection, remediation, compliance, or operational excellence.Experience partnering across engineering, security, compliance, infrastructure, or platform teams to deliver complex programs with measurable outcomes.Experience leading AI-enabled security operations, security copilot workflows, agentic automation, machine learning applications in cybersecurity, or autonomous remediation capabilities.Deep understanding of enterprise network technologies and protocols including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, BGP, OSPF, routing, switching, segmentation, ACLs, AAA, and network access controls.Experience with security telemetry, KQL/Kusto, Azure Data Explorer, Power BI, detection engineering, threat hunting, security data quality, and executive security reporting.Experience with network device security posture, vulnerability management, configuration compliance, SOX/audit readiness, secure access, and defense-in-depth architecture.Experience operating in Azure, hybrid cloud, or enterprise-scale infrastructure environments.Experience influencing executives, partner teams, and cross-functional stakeholders through ambiguity and organizational complexity.Industry certifications such as CISSP, CCIE, CCNP, CISM, GCIH, GCIA, OSCP, Security+, or equivalent practical experience.Cloud Network Engineering M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.