Postdoctoral Researcher in Cybersecurity and Systems Engineering

Location:

Belgium, Brussels, VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Department of Computer Science, SOFT Research Group.

Duration:

2-year contract, with the possibility of extension (up to 5 years in total).

Application Deadline:

15th of December 2024.

Starting Date:

As soon as possible.

About the Role:

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join the SOFT (Software Languages Lab) group at VUB. This position is part of the Cybersecurity Initiative Flanders (CIF) program, aimed at advancing cybersecurity research and practical applications. You will contribute to cutting-edge research in secure system software, including areas like Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) and evaluating the security and performance trade-offs of memory-safe languages, such as Rust, in embedded and robotics systems or low-level codebases like the kernel. Our vision is to establish push-button pipelines for evaluating security and performance in system software, creating a future of more secure and efficient computing.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on the development and implementation of secure system software with a focus on embedded and/or real-time systems.
• Evaluate the performance and security of software systems, using state-of-the-art tools enabling binary exploitation, fuzzing (like AFL++), and frameworks for benchmarking (like benchkit).
• Work on hardware/software co-design of heterogeneous computing platforms (e.g., CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs), and real-time systems, ensuring that performance is optimized alongside security.
• Develop and secure software for robotic systems and contribute to formal verification techniques to ensure the correctness of such systems.
• Collaborate with external academic and industry partners to validate and apply the developed tools and methodologies in real-world scenarios.
• Publish research findings in high-impact journals and conferences such as ASPLOS, SOSP, OSDI, RTAS, S&P, ECRTS and others, contributing to the academic discourse in the field.
• Assist in supervising Ph.D. students, master students and contribute to the group's educational activities.
• Support the PI in achieving project KPIs, including securing additional funding and building industry partnerships.
• Participate in the elaboration of various deliverables, such as project reports, presentations, and other documentation as part of the project requirements.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, System Software, Programming Languages, or a related field.
• The ideal candidate will have expertise in several of the following fields:
• Secure System Software Development: Experience with languages like Rust, C, C++, and Python in developing secure software systems.
• Performance Evaluation: Proficiency in benchmarking, profiling tools, and optimizing system software for high performance.
• Operating Systems & Middleware: Knowledge in designing and securing operating systems, drivers, middleware, and related tools.
• Programming Languages: Experience in language implementations and tooling (compilers, transpilers, LLVM tools, etc.)
• Computer Architecture: In-depth knowledge of x86, ARM, or RISC-V architectures, with experience in low-level programming, performance optimization, and secure system design on these platforms.
• System Security: Expertise in binary exploitation, vulnerability analysis, and reverse engineering using tools like Ghidra or Radare2. Experience with fuzzing tools (e.g., AFL++) and secure code review methodologies.
• Hardware/Software Co-design: Experience with heterogeneous computing and embedded systems, strong understanding of hardware architecture.
• Parallelism & Concurrency: Expertise in designing and optimizing concurrent systems, including multi-core and distributed systems (e.g. multi-threaded applications, GPUs kernels, FPGA bitstreams).
• Formal Verification: Familiarity with tools and techniques for formal verification like model checking (e.g. GenMC, Dat3m), particularly in parallel, real-time and embedded systems.
• Real-Time Systems: Familiarity with the real-time research literature.
• A strong publication record demonstrating expertise in (some of) these areas.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary (and often remote) team.
• Excellent communication skills in English.

What We Offer:

• A stimulating research environment within a leading European research group.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources at VUB and through the CIF program consortium.
• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conference attendance, and networking with leading experts in cybersecurity and system software.
• A competitive salary and benefits package aligned with VUB's postdoctoral researcher compensation structure.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter describing your research experience and motivation for applying.
• A detailed CV, including a list of publications.
• Contact details for at least two academic references.

Please send your application materials to antonio.paolillo@vub.be by 6th of December 2024.

Contact Information:

For inquiries about the position, please contact Prof. Antonio Paolillo at antonio.paolillo@vub.be. We look forward to receiving your application.