Senior Software Engineering Manager

The Infrastructure and Developer Platform (IDP) team within Microsoft Security plays a pivotal role in supporting the Defender suite by providing a foundational platform that simplifies service deployment, enhances security, and reduces operational costs. Positioned at the intersection of C/.NET SDK development and Kubernetes, this role is instrumental in enabling AI-driven development workflows across the Microsoft Threat Protection (MTP) organization. By streamlining infrastructure and developer tools, the IDP team empowers engineers to build and scale services more efficiently and reliably. The Infrastructure and Developer Platform (IDP) team is a cornerstone of Microsoft’s security strategy, delivering the essential infrastructure that powers the Defender product suite. By offering robust tools and frameworks, IDP enables engineering teams to innovate rapidly while ensuring secure, reliable, and cost-effective service deployment. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies and best practices, the platform supports seamless operations and global protection for millions of users, reinforcing Microsoft’s leadership in cybersecurity.

• Define and drive the Kubernetes security roadmap, ensuring alignment with organizational security and compliance requirements.
• Establish and enforce best practices for securing Kubernetes workloads, including network policies, RBAC, and supply chain security.
• Partner with Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Platform Engineering teams to align Kubernetes security initiatives with broader security frameworks (e.g., Microsoft SDL, Defender for Cloud, 1ES)
• Lead the design, implementation, and enforcement of secure-by-default configurations for AKS and Kubernetes workloads.
• Engage with internal and external security communities, contributing to security standards and best practices within Microsoft.
• Lead and mentor a team of security-focused engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence.
• Establish team OKRs/KPIs for measuring security improvements and operational effectiveness.

• 8-10 years of experience in software engineering.
• 2-4 years of experience in a people management role.
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes security concepts, including network policies, RBAC, workload identity, container runtime security, and supply chain security.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes on major cloud providers (Azure AKS, AWS EKS, GCP GKE) and security best practices for cloud-native workloads.
• Familiarity with Terraform, Pulumi, or other IaC tools to manage Kubernetes deployments securely.
• Experience implementing secure CI/CD pipelines, image scanning, policy enforcement (OPA/Gatekeeper/Kyverno), and runtime security tools (Falco, Aqua, etc.).
• Knowledge of detecting, analyzing, and responding to security incidents in Kubernetes environments.
• Proven ability to lead security-focused engineering teams, collaborate with security, platform, and developer teams, and drive adoption of security best practices.
• Experience with container-based development, including Docker and Kubernetes.
• Deep understanding of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) security features, including Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender for Containers, Azure AD workload identity, and confidential computing.
• Bachelor’s Degree AND 4+ years’ experience in software engineering, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work across different geographies, including the United States, Israel, and India.
• Experience using Azure DevOps for tracking planning and execution.

Other Requirements

• CKA, CKS, CISSP, or other relevant security and Kubernetes certifications.
• 4+ years experience with workload and container orchestration using Kubernetes or a similar platform.
• 4+ years experience with container runtimes such as Docker, Rkt, runC, and understanding how they interact with operating system components.
• 4+ years experience working in Linux environments.
• Experience with security frameworks such as NIST, CIS Benchmarks, and PCI-DSS, and ability to assess and mitigate risks in Kubernetes environments.

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. 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.

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.