Postdoctoral Researcher in Legacy-to-Rust Transpilation

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 4 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 FORCES research project, funded by the BELSPO DEFRA research program. This project focuses on the development of tools and methods to modernize legacy software, particularly by transpiling legacy codebases from C and C++ to modern, memory-safe languages such as Rust. You will be contributing to cutting-edge research in secure system software and programming languages, with a focus on improving both security and performance through language transformation. These research results will be applied on true prototype composed of many robotic software components.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead research in the development of tools and techniques to transpile legacy C and C++ codebases to Rust, ensuring the generated code maintains or improves security, performance, correctness, and quality.
• 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 secure system software, including analyzing and enhancing the cybersecurity aspects of transformed code.
• Develop and secure software for robotic systems, particularly within the ROS (Robot Operating System) environment, 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 various scenarios.
• Publish research findings in high-impact journals and conferences such as PLDI, ASPLOS, SOSP, OSDI, RTAS, S&P, and others, contributing to the academic discourse in the field.
• Assist in supervising Ph.D. students and 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, Programming Languages, System Software, Cybersecurity, or a related field.
• The ideal candidate will have expertise in several of the following fields:
• Programming Languages: Strong background in programming languages, language design, and compiler construction. Experience with Rust, C, and C++ is highly desirable.
• Transpiler Development: Experience in building or contributing to transpilers or compilers, particularly for legacy code migration.
• System Security: Expertise in secure software development, vulnerability analysis, and secure code review methodologies.
• Secure System Software Development: Understanding of secure system software development, with a focus on mitigating vulnerabilities during language transformation.
• 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.
• 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, particularly in real-time and embedded systems.
• Real-Time Systems: Familiarity with the real-time research literature.
• Robotics Software Development: Experience with ROS, Python, and the development of secure, reliable robotic systems.
• 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 FORCES project consortium.
• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conference attendance, and networking with leading experts in robotics, cybersecurity, system software, and programming languages.
• 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.