This post of Research Assistant (pre-doctoral) or Research Associate (post-doctoral) is to conduct world-leading research, under the direction of Professor Emil Lupu, on the resilience and safety of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) to cyber-attacks.
The post is based in the Department of Computing at Imperial College London. This is a leading department of Computer Science among UK Universities. The department has achieved top results in each of the research assessment exercises undertaken by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The successful applicant will join the Resilient Information Systems Security group, led by Professor Emil Lupu, .
The position offers an exciting opportunity to conduct internationally leading and impactful research in security and safety of ICS and CPS. The Research Assistant/Associate will be responsible for researching implementing and delivering novel solutions at the intersection of safety, security, and (model-based) systems engineering, whilst applying systems analysis techniques based on formal methods, AI, and optimisation and will be expected to submit publications to top-tier conferences and journals in computer security.
In particular the work will seek to deliver novel contributions that enable such systems to safely continue to operate even when they have been partially compromised and facilitate a) continuous risk analysis in the face of adversarial threats taking into account the impact of security events across cascading interdependencies; b) identifying countermeasures that can be applied to mitigate threats and contain the impact of attacks; and c) ensuring that such countermeasures can be applied whilst preserving the system's safety, operational constraints and maximising its availability. These contributions will be evaluated across several test beds, digital twins, and use-cases across different industry sectors. The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate closely with the research staff at the University of Swansea (project partners), and to work with the extensive group of project industry external collaborators. See for further information on the project.
To apply for this position, you must have a strong computer science background with a focus on computer security and (model-based) systems engineering, have excellent software development and implementation skills, have experience, including a proven publication track-record, in computer security or (model-based) systems engineering and willingness to become familiar with other techniques applicable. You should also have:
1. A PhD degree (Research Associate) or a Master’s (Research Assistant) in computer science or a related area.*
2. Familiarity with ICS and/or CPS.
3. Excellent communication skills and ability to work with others.
4. Ability to organise your own work and set priorities to meet deadlines.
As part of the conditions of the grant the preferred candidate is required to successfully undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standard check by DSTL prior to receiving a contract of employment.
Please see job description for a full list of requirements.
*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant, salary range £43,863 - £47,223 per annum.
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5. The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
6. Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
7. Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
8. Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.