Senior Research Associate on the Soteria Project

Department of Computer Science, Parks Road, Oxford

Senior Research Associate on the Soteria Project

Fixed term for up to 34 months from 1 May 2021, with the possibility to start later

Grade 8: Salary in the range £41,526 – £44,045 p.a. (Grade 7: £32,817 - £40,322 p.a. underfill considered)

We are looking for a senior research associate to conduct advanced research in applied formal verification of hardware and systems as part of the Soteria project. Soteria is a cyber-security demonstrator for the e-commerce industrial market, funded by UKRI as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Digital Security by Design (DSbD) Challenge. The Soteria project is led by THG Holdings plc (THG) and involves the universities of Oxford and Manchester.

The post holder will join the internationally leading verification research group of Professor Tom Melham and will collaborate closely with other members of the Soteria research team at Manchester and THG. Researchers in Melham’s group benefit from the scientific insights and connections that he has gained over decades of close, impact-focused collaborations with senior engineers at leading companies in the computing and semiconductor industries.

The main responsibility is to contribute to the Soteria project with a focus on novel, automated formal verification methods applied to the technology being developed. This will involve identifying the most promising and valuable targets for formal verification, selecting appropriate tooling and algorithms – making innovative, theoretically well-grounded, extensions to these as needed – devising novel verification methodologies, and carrying out at-scale verification case studies.

You will hold a PhD (or be close to completion if appointed at grade 7) in Computer Science or a related mathematical discipline. You will have a strong publication record and familiarity with the existing literature and research in the field, as witnessed by published peer-reviewed work (according to your experience) in the area of formal verification, model checking, or related areas. You will have the ability to contribute to research on formal verification in Soteria, and be willing to collaborate with others and work effectively as a member of a team  Excellent communication skills are also required, including the ability to write for publication, present research proposals and results, and represent the research group at meetings.

This position, with its focus on real-world security through cutting-edge DSbD technology, is a unique opportunity to make a real impact, to advance state of the art in applied verification research, and to join a top-class team of collaborators. The role also offers an outstanding opportunity for career development that is equally well-suited to an academic or industrial research path, or to subsequent work as a senior applied verification engineer in industry.

The role is a grade 8 position, but we would be willing to consider candidates with potential but less experience who are seeking a development opportunity, for which an initial appointment would be at Grade 7 (£32,817 - £40,322 p.a.) with the responsibilities adjusted accordingly. (For Grade 7, you would be expected to hold a doctoral degree in Computer Science or be close to completion). This would be discussed with applicants at interview/appointment where appropriate.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 6 April 2021. Interviews are expected to be held week commencing 12 April 2021. For further information and in order to apply, please visit: https://my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecruit/erq_jobspec_details_form.jobspec?p_id=149983

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