About Us: Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.
How We Work: At Proofpoint you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities Accountable for results and best in class outcomes Visionary in future focused problem-solving Exceptional in execution and impact Corporate Overview Proofpoint is a leading cybersecurity company protecting organisations’ greatest assets and biggest risks: vulnerabilities in people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber-attacks. Leading organisations of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 1000, rely on Proofpoint for people-centric security and compliance solutions mitigating their most critical risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web. We are singularly devoted to helping our customers protect their greatest assets and biggest security risk: their people. That is why we are leaders in next-generation cybersecurity.
The Role Proofpoint is looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join our Machine Learning team. In this role, you'll drive the evolution of our email threat detection engine, which protects some of the largest enterprises globally, from sophisticated email-based threats. You will collaborate cross-functionally and lead major initiatives end-to-end ensuring that we apply state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to identify and solve the most impactful problems. You will also help promote machine learning best practices and encourage innovative approaches to problem-solving within
the team. Key
Responsibilities Extract and derive actionable insights from massive volumes of unstructured email datasets using distributed computing tools (Spark, Iceberg, Athena) and AWS SageMaker Engineer features that capture communication behaviors and patterns across billions of email records, translating domain expertise into scalable feature pipelines Fine-tune LLMs for domain-specific tasks (email topic detection, NER) and train neural network models from scratch on massive volumes of email data to identify anomalous patterns and behaviors indicative of malicious threats Apply classical machine learning techniques (e.g., boosting, bagging) to train models that classify large volumes of imbalanced datasets with low-latency inference Deploy trained models to production using AWS SageMaker, directly impacting the effectiveness of our core threat detection products Partner with Product and Engineering teams to identify high-impact research areas and drive data-driven decision-making Mentor junior data scientists and drive adoption of ML best practices, fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous learning Evaluate emerging machine learning and AI advancements, and integrate promising techniques into our threat detection solutions
What We're Looking For Experience leading high-impact machine learning projects with demonstrated results in production environments Deep expertise in neural network architectures with proven experience applying them to real-world problems. Experience with graph neural networks or advanced fraud detection techniques is highly desirable Proficiency with one or more deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX). Experience with PyTorch Geometric or DGL is a plus Hands-on expertise with gradient boosting frameworks (XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM) for imbalanced classification tasks Experience monitoring and maintaining model performance in production, including detection and mitigation of model and data drift Experience leveraging LLMs and agentic workflows for research and problem-solving is a plus A collaborative mindset with genuine passion for high-impact work and a commitment to fostering innovative thinking within
the team Strong listening skills; open to input from other team members and departments Why Proofpoint Protecting people is at the heart of our award-winning cybersecurity solutions, and the people who work here are the key to our success. We’re a customer-focused and driven-to-win organisation with leading-edge products. We are an inclusive, diverse, multinational company that believes in culture fit, but more importantly ‘culture-add’, and we strongly encourage people from all walks of life to apply. We believe in hiring the best and the brightest to help cultivate our culture of collaboration and appreciation. Apply today and explore your future at Proofpoint! #LifeAtProofpoint Why Proofpoint? At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive
compensation and
benefits package. Here are just a few reasons you’ll love working with us: Competitive
compensation Comprehensive
benefits Career success on your terms Flexible work environment Annual wellness and community outreach days Always on recognition for your contributions Global collaboration and networking opportunities Our Culture: Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive success-every day, for everyone. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to [email protected]. How to Apply Interested? Submit your application along with any supporting information- we can’t wait to hear from you! Proofpoint has been honored with six Best Places to Work Awards in 2024 by workplace culture leader Comparably, including Best Company Career Growth, Best Company Outlook, Best Global Culture, Best Engineering Teams, Best Sales Teams, and Best HR Teams. We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. Our BRAVE Values: At Proofpoint, we are BRAVE in everything we do, and our values aren’t just words—they shape
how we work, collaborate, and grow. We seek people who are bold enough to challenge the status quo, responsive in the face of ever-evolving threats, and accountable for delivering real impact. We value those with a visionary mindset who anticipate what’s next and push cybersecurity forward, and we celebrate exceptional execution that ensures we continue to defend data and protect people. Proofpoint is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability. Find your network, your allies, and your biggest fans. We know that work is simply better when you’re surrounded by people who inspire you—who share ideas, cheer you on, and genuinely want to see you succeed. That’s why we offer social circles, sponsored networks, and connection points across teams and time zones—to help you find your people, build your community, and thrive together. This isn’t just a job—it’s a mission to protect people and defend data in a world that never slows down. We’re building the future of human-centric cybersecurity, and that future belongs to all of us. We take ownership, move fast, and hold ourselves accountable—because that’s what it takes to stay ahead. And we do it together, winning as one. Be empowered to reach your full potential through meaningful challenges and personalized support—designed around you and your goals. Whether you're growing as a leader or leveling up from great to exceptional as an individual contributor, we’re here to help you get there.
