PhD and PostDoc positions at VUSec

VUSec performs world-leading research in the broad area of systems security. We work on attacks, defenses, reverse engineering, and formal verification of security. We cover all major areas where security is important, especially software security, hardware security, and network security. We love to work on low-level stuff, for example tinkering with operating systems and compilers, or finding out the nitty gritty of how hardware is implemented to determine whether it is vulnerable.

For this particular vacancy, we intend to fill a number of PhD and PostDoc positions relating to the following topics:

• micro-architectural attacks and defenses (modelling, finding, analysing and mitigating)
• automatically and efficiently finding, exploiting and fixing software vulnerabilities
• verifying that such fixes are safe and effective
• systems security in general
• thorough evaluation of security-related systems and research

VUSec is unique for its collaborative and friendly atmosphere, in which researchers have considerable freedom in picking their projects and who they want to do them with. We publish in top-tier conferences, and can guide you towards also becoming a top researcher and boosting your academic CV. We have a strong focus on research ethics, as well as a long-standing commitment to transparency, responsible disclosure, and open source.

See https://www.vusec.net/ for more information about our research group.

Your duties
For PhD positions:

• publish papers in top-tier venues
• implement open source research prototypes
• act as a teaching assistant for BSc and MSc courses
• assist in supervising BSc and MSc theses

For PostDoc positions:

• publish papers in top-tier venues
• implement open source research prototypes
• co-supervise several PhD students and guide them to top-tier publications
• act as a co-teacher or teaching assistant for BSc and MSc courses
• co-supervise BSc and MSc theses

Requirements:

• (for PhD positions) you hold a master’s degree in Computer Science or a closely related discipline
• (for PostDoc positions) you hold a PhD degree in Computer Science or a closely related discipline or are about to defend your PhD thesis
• (for PostDoc positions) you are willing and able to help in supervising a number of PhD students to publications in top-tier venues
• you enjoy low-level hacking and experimentation
• you are a good programmer, especially in C/C++
• you are strongly motivated to do top-tier research, and are not quickly discouraged if things do not work out as planned
• you have demonstrable strong knowledge and skills in computer systems, including topics such as compilers, operating systems, computer architecture, and computer networks
• you have demonstrable strong knowledge and skills in systems security, including topics such as software and hardware vulnerabilities and exploits, and fuzz testing
• optionally, you also have demonstrable strong knowledge of formal verification, especially in the context of languages/compilers and of security
• you have good command of the English language (there is no need to know Dutch)
• you have a strong commitment to research ethics

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

Salary Benefits:

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

PhD

• a salary of € 2.770,00 per month and maximum salary of € 3.539,00 gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.
• an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

PostDoc

• a salary of € 3.226.00 per month and maximum salary of € 5.090.00 gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.
• an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total duration of 2 or 3 years.

For both positions we also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• contribution to commuting expenses

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