About the RoleWe are looking for a savvy, high-performing Principal AI Threat Detection Engineer - Insider Threat to lead the strategy, design, and day-to-day management of Blackbaud's Insider Threat program as it matures into an AI-augmented capability, protecting Blackbaud's and our clients' information. As a technical leader within Security Engineering, this individual will direct AI-driven and agentic tooling to investigate anomalous events and alerts, detect malicious and anomalous insider activity, and reverse engineer malware, while personally applying the contextual judgment, escalation authority, and accountability that AI cannot provide on its own.
The Principal AI Threat Detection Engineer serves as the subject matter expert for Insider Threat tooling, User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA), Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) platforms, and the AI/ML models underpinning them, validating model outputs, tuning detection logic, and partnering with leadership to report on the business impact of theft, destruction, alteration, or denial of access to information. As the program shifts more first-pass analysis to AI, this role increasingly focuses human effort where it matters most: resolving ambiguous or high-stakes cases, overseeing AI-assisted decisions, and troubleshooting complex threats that impact the information security infrastructure at the data, application, service, operating system, and network levels.
What You'll Be Doing- Lead the maturation of Blackbaud's Insider Threat detection program toward an AI-augmented capability, including administration, tuning, and optimization of Insider Threat tools, UEBA platforms, and the AI/ML models underneath them
- Perform intrusion and insider risk analysis using SIEM technology, UEBA behavioral analytics, AI-generated insights, reports, data visualization, log analysis, and pattern analysis, applying human judgment to validate AI findings and separate true signal from noise
- Direct AI-driven hunting tools and agents to identify threat actor groups (external and insider) and their respective tactics, techniques, and procedures, personally leading the investigation of cases that require nuanced human judgment
- Serve as the human escalation point and first responder for security events that AI and automated tooling flag but cannot fully resolve, via email, phone, and tickets across corporate user networks, data centers, and cloud environments
- Own remediation of information security incidents, including insider threat investigations, ensuring AI-assisted findings are verified and contextualized before action is taken
- Document and communicate findings, escalate critical incidents, and interact with lines of business, HR, Legal, and other stakeholders on sensitive insider matters, exercising the discretion and judgment that AI systems cannot provide
- Design and build AI-driven and SOAR-based automated workflows within Detection Engineering, defining the guardrails, escalation thresholds, and human checkpoints that keep automation safe, effective, and improve analyst performance
- Champion responsible use of AI-driven analysis and automation to enhance detection accuracy and accelerate triage, while evaluating model accuracy, bias, and drift to keep detection logic explainable and trustworthy
- Document automation and AI model deployment processes, to include defining pre-build requirements, validation criteria, and human review checkpoints for high-risk decisions
- Utilize AI and automation to build metrics and dashboards supporting the Insider Threat and broader detection program, applying human interpretation to translate outputs into decisions leadership can act on
- Serve as a thought leader on the evolving division of labor between AI and human analysts - determining which decisions should be automated, which require human review, and how that boundary should shift as the program matures - as well as on new alert content, data correlation, and anomaly thresholds
- Improve and challenge existing processes and procedures in a very agile and fast-paced cyber security environment
- Keep current on the threat landscape, insider risk trends, cyber security developments, and emerging AI/ML techniques relevant to detection engineering
- Adapt to fluid infrastructures, and evaluate, pilot, and integrate new AI-enabled technologies and platforms
- Act as peer reviewer and technical escalation point within the core security engineering team, including reviewing AI-assisted detection logic and automation before deployment
- Advise and inform leadership on how to optimize the current toolset and evaluate future tools, including UEBA, SOAR, and AI-enabled analysis platforms, recommending where automation should expand and where human oversight must remain
What We'll Want You to Have- 8+ years of Security Engineering and Analysis experience, preferably in Threat Detection and Response, including demonstrated experience supporting Insider Threat programs
- 5+ years of IT or networking experience
- Hands-on experience administering, tuning, and optimizing Insider Threat detection tools, User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) platforms, and the AI/ML models that power them
- Experience with SOAR tools and playbook development, including explicit expertise applying AI-driven and agentic automation to security operations and critically evaluating AI-generated findings for accuracy
- Experience with security metrics and reporting, preferably including automating recurring metrics and reporting processes
- Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate AI/ML model outputs
- Intermediate to Advanced Linux/Unix OS and Windows knowledge
- Firewall rule and policy, and network routing fundamentals
- Ability to manage parallel tasks and accurately document resolutions
- Proven ability to implement automation through scripting (e.g., PowerShell, PERL, Python, Bash scripting), including integrating AI/ML APIs or agentic frameworks into detection workflows
- Experience leveraging APIs to integrate third-party tooling into an existing tool stack
- Familiarity with cyber security frameworks such as NIST and MITRE ATT&CK, and awareness of emerging AI governance and security frameworks (e.g., NIST AI RMF, MITRE ATLAS)
- Industry-recognized professional certification such as Security+, CBROPS, CSA, CEH, GSEC, SSCP
What We'll Prefer You Have- CISSP, GBFA, GCDA, GCIA, GCIH, GMON, GNFA, GOSI, GPEN, GPPA, GREM, GSOC, OSDA, OSCP
- Working knowledge of network packet analysis tools
- Direct experience with malware and analysis techniques and methodologies
- Prior experience leading or mentoring a security engineering or analyst team through periods of technology and process change, including adoption of AI-driven tooling
- Experience presenting insider risk metrics and program updates to senior leadership
- Experience partnering with data science or AI/ML engineering teams to build, validate, or govern detection models
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Blackbaud powers social impact through purpose-driven technology and responsible AI. Guided by our Intelligence for Good vision, we're building a culture where innovation, trust, and human expertise come together to help organizations make a greater difference in the world.
Blackbaud is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
The starting base pay is $117,200.00 to $157,500.00. Blackbaud may pay more or less based on employee qualifications, market value, Company finances, and other operational considerations.
Benefits Include:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Remote-flexible workforce
- Wellness Programs
- 401(k) program with employer match
- Flexible paid time off
- Generous Parental Leave
- Donations for Doers
- Pet insurance, legal and identity protection
- Tuition reimbursement program
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