Senior Cybersecurity Standards Professional

The continued digital transformation and data-driven approach of industry sectors and governments, the reliance on information technologies in our daily lives and business, and the evolving cybersecurity regulatory landscape require the need to establish a strong basis of trust and assurance in information technologies and services. At Microsoft, security is our top priority. Our services and products are considered critical infrastructure, and we are trusted to protect the data of our customers around the world. The global cybersecurity threat landscape rapidly changes, and to meet the challenge, we must continue to ensure the security of cyberspace, data, networks, and endpoints.

International cybersecurity standards are an essential tool in the fight against cyber-threats and global threat actors. International standards and comprehensive audit schemes are foundational mechanisms that enable cross-sector, globally recognized assurance of trusted services and can help to operationalize regulations. Microsoft has a long-standing commitment to participation in international and regional standards organizations that reach across every facet of the information technology industry.

Join a standards team that is at the cross-section of technology, standards, regulation, and assurance. The Microsoft Corporate Standards Group (CSG) is a global team that closely collaborates with stakeholders across Microsoft and within standards development organizations. The successful candidate will be based in Brussels, Belgium and be part of a distributed team comprised of standards, certification, and other technical professionals. CSG partners closely within the company with product and business groups, policy, legal and government affairs teams, and others as appropriate to drive standards- and certification-related outcomes supporting Microsoft’s business. With deep experience at the intersection of technology, policy, and business, the team consists of senior industry and technical leaders in their respective countries and regions.

The role will include participation in international standards organizations as well as other multi-stakeholder, consensus-driven groups in the area of cybersecurity. The successful candidate will work with clarity, credibility, and leadership on a complex set of issues with a wide range of stakeholders. The job will also involve some engagement on public policy, intellectual property, and business strategy. A deep understanding of Microsoft customers’ and partners’ needs from our technologies, knowledge of current and emerging cybersecurity technologies, trends, and techniques, and an exceptional ability to build alliances are all expected. The skills necessary to effectively represent the company’s positions in both written and verbal mediums will also be critical. The individual in this role will be expected to work effectively across organizational and geographic boundaries, both within Microsoft as well as externally.

The individual who will be successful in this role will have deep experience in cybersecurity, reinforcing the team’s cybersecurity expertise and reflecting the importance of security at Microsoft. The successful candidate will be required to work in a cross-domain fashion, with crossover with areas such as privacy, AI, data, and platforms. They will be expected to establish a network across Microsoft to ensure that standards that are developed align to and meet the needs of the business.

Responsibilities

• The ability to articulate and define standards-related strategies for Microsoft based on a deep understanding of the impact of information technology, and cybersecurity in socio-economic systems as well as within the business of government.
• Execute defined strategies through deep engagement in diverse technical, policy, and standards-focused organizations.
• Develop ideas and identify new opportunities for standards deliverables and content into standards based on thought leadership, collaboration with other CSG colleagues, and through collaboration with other colleagues across Microsoft.
• Work with product groups/engineering groups/feature groups to drive new content into standards and to provide awareness where standards are being developed for compliance purposes.
• Work across technical domains to ensure that cybersecurity standards include measures to efficiently protect across services, data uses, and technologies.
• Be a member in good standing with voting rights in relevant standards bodies in the appropriate country.
• Ensure that Microsoft has effective representation at both the technical and governance level of the relevant organizations and constructively contributes to specifications under consideration by those bodies. Maintain effective and collaborative relationships with other participants and leaders within the organizations in which Microsoft participates.
• Manage Microsoft’s participation and support of all appropriate meetings or conferences where Microsoft’s interests need to be represented.
• Internally advocate issues or actions that affect Microsoft’s ability to successfully sell its products in Europe and globally. Provide detailed and actionable insight and guidance to Microsoft’s sales organizations and product development teams as necessary. Work with corporate resources such as legal counsel, public policy teams, and the executive staff to provide guidance for the company to adopt optimal strategies.
• Communicate and coordinate with the global team focused on standards and conformity assessments being developed in industry consortia, national, regional, or international standards bodies.
• Work with industry partners, ISV’s, government bodies, enterprise customers, and academics to find common ground and opportunities for collaboration in the development and implementation of standards and certifications.
• Coordinate with internal policy and technical teams in support of particular standards, certifications, or key policy or technical issues.
• The person in this role will be required to effectively work in a geographically distributed team.
• The person in this role will be expected to travel as needed to standardization meetings, workshops, and internal meetings. This role may require at least 30% travel time.

Required Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or Engineering or related field with demonstrable working experience in cybersecurity engineering, product or technical program management of cybersecurity domain, technical sales, or account team cybersecurity SME.
• Deep expertise in cybersecurity technologies and techniques including:
• Preparing for cybersecurity audits
• Red teaming
• Network security operations
• Supply chain security
• Identity management
• Encryption and key management
• Threat and vulnerability management.
• Deep knowledge of the cybersecurity agencies and decision-makers as well as how those organizations interact with standard-setting organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience of cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and critical systems, including cloud services is preferred.
• Experience of cybersecurity of critical and emerging technologies is an advantage.
• Experience of managing open-source security risks is a plus.

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.