Cybersecurity Apprentice

Job Description

Overview

Start Date: September 2026

Apprenticeship: Level 6 Cyber Security Apprenticeship with Gloucestershire College

Placement length: 4 years

Microsoft cyber security teams accelerate Microsoft’s mission and bold ambitions to ensure that our company and industry is securing digital technology platforms, devices, and clouds in our customers’ heterogeneous environments, as well as ensuring the security of our own internal estate.

Security represents the most critical priorities for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. We aspire to make the world a safer place for all. We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud that protects them with end to end, simplified solutions.

Microsoft Security is responsible for defending Microsoft and our customers through the intersection of threat intelligence, cyber security expertise and innovation such as security graph research. Defending Microsoft and our customers’ complex environments provides a unique opportunity to research, build, and evaluate autonomous graph powered defence, including through emerging generative AI capabilities.

This role is designed for people early in their careers with strong curiosity, problem-solving ability, and an interest in how technology can be secured at scale. No prior professional experience in cybersecurity or software engineering is required.

Responsibilities

What will you be doing as an apprentice?

As an apprentice, you will learn how Microsoft detects, investigates, and disrupts cyber threats at cloud scale — and you’ll contribute to systems that help protect Microsoft and its customers worldwide.

You’ll work closely with experienced security engineers and researchers, with responsibilities that grow as your skills and confidence develop.

Learning how large-scale threat detection works

• Learn how security teams identify unusual or suspicious activity (anomalies) across large cloud environments such as Azure and Entra.

• Help analyse security data to understand attacker behaviour, compromised accounts, and risky patterns of activity.

• Support the improvement of existing detections so they are more accurate, reliable, and actionable.

Working with data, signals, and evidence

• Learn how “normal” behaviour is modelled for users, applications, and infrastructure, and how deviations from that baseline are identified.

• Help test and validate detection ideas using real telemetry and measurable outcomes.

• Learn how engineers balance catching real threats with reducing noise and false positives.

From research ideas to production systems

• See how research concepts are turned into production systems that run continuously at global scale.

• Learn how detection logic can evolve into more advanced approaches, including machine learning and automation.

• Contribute to building and improving pipelines that help security teams investigate and respond faster.

Collaboration and communication

• Work with security teams, researchers, and engineers across Microsoft.

• Learn how intelligence is shared responsibly to support investigations and protect customers.

• Develop the ability to explain technical ideas clearly and work as part of a team tackling complex problems.

Throughout the apprenticeship, you’ll gain hands-on experience while building strong technical foundations and an understanding of how modern, cloud-scale security systems are designed and operated.

Skills you will learn

• Development skills in a variety of languages, e.g., C#, Python, PowerShell, KQL.

• Azure DevOps or similar cloud-based development experience.

• Architecture and design for scalable, distributed systems.

• Applicable AI and data science techniques, e.g. anomaly detection at cloud scale, baselining and “pattern-of-life” modelling, agent design.

• Big data, data pipelines.

• Knowledge of the security/threat landscape.

• Developing an understanding of endpoint, cloud, network, and identity-based attacks and datasets.

• Threat intelligence and investigation techniques.

• Understanding of cyber espionage motivations, tools, and infrastructure.

• Finding new threat actor intrusions previously undetected by defence teams and tools.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate the business need for security and technical improvements.

Being a Microsoft Apprentice:

As a Microsoft Apprentice, you will have the opportunity to start your career early, earn while you learn, and gain valuable experience. Microsoft believe in providing real responsibility from the outset, with an employment contract for the full duration of your apprenticeship. You will be an integral part of the team, contributing to meaningful projects and initiatives to drive impact.

What to Expect:

Support and Guidance: You will be fully supported by an apprentice buddy, your manager, and fellow team members. Microsoft managers are trained and ready to support you throughout your apprenticeship programme.

Learning and Development: You will spend time away from your job training and growing your knowledge, which you will then apply to your day-to-day role. You will complete work-based assignments and participate in modules aligned with your job responsibilities.

Community and Inclusion: You will be part of a vibrant and inclusive apprentice community. You will have opportunities to give back through Microsoft's community programmes and Employee Resource Groups.

Career Growth: At Microsoft, they are committed to your growth and development. You will have access to industry-leading innovation and resources to help you succeed in your role and beyond.

Join Microsoft and develop skills that will pave the way for a successful career – Apply now!

Qualifications

To be eligible for this apprenticeship, you must not have a degree.

However, you should have:

• Obtained suitable level 3 qualifications by 31st August 2026 (3 A-levels with grades A*-C, BTEC Nationals, T Levels, or equivalent). A-levels should include Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, or Computer Science.

• Obtained 5 GCSEs, including Maths and English, with grades A*-C or 9-4 on the new grading system.

• You need to be legally authorised (have citizenship or a valid visa/work permit) to work in the UK to be eligible for this role.

Controlled Technology: Citizenship & Citizenship Verification:

This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their U.S. permanent residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information.

#EIP

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.