Senior Research Associate on AI Cybersecurity

Full time, Fixed-term contract until 31 March 2026

Grade 8: Salary range between £48,235- £54,066 per annum (with the potential to under-fill at Grade 7 with salaries in the range of £38,674 - £46,913 p.a.)

Location: Computer Science, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford

The Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre (GCSCC) at the Department of Computer Science is looking to employ a Senior Research Associate to work within an interdisciplinary team on AI cybersecurity research. Primarily funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the GCSCC is a programme of the Oxford Martin School, which specialises in supporting interdisciplinary research communities working to address the most pressing global challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The successful candidate will report to the Principal Investigator.  The post holder is a member of a research group providing day-to-day supervision for research assistants.  The post holder is responsible for their own grant funded research project within a discrete area of a wider research programme.

The key focus of this role will be to support the research programme of the GCSCC across the three primary task areas outlined below, but primarily focusing on Task 2. Each task is framed by a key challenge question:

1. How are each of the different types of AI / ML models vulnerable to cyber-attack, and can we predict outcomes of cyber-attacks based on knowledge of the specific model and training dataset being used?
2. What is the nature of harm that is faced when AI-systems are attacked, and how might the risk propagate through organisations, supply-chains and ecosystems?
3. What AI cybersecurity capacity should nations and organisations be prioritising for investment?

Project website: https://gcscc.ox.ac.uk/

The successful candidate will be required to work primarily under the direction of Professor Sadie Creese and the supervision of Professor Michael Goldsmith, with guidance from other senior academics.

It is essential that successful candidate would hold a relevant PhD/DPhil in a cybersecurity-relevant field with post-qualification research experience.

You will be required to upload a supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application (via the ‘Apply’ button above).

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 21^st January 2025. Interviews are expected to be held in January or early February.

We are a Stonewall Top 100 Employer, Living Wage, holding an Athena Swan Bronze Award, HR excellence in Research and Race Equality Charter Bronze Award.

Our staff and students come from all over the world and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diversity groups and champions, for example http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/aboutus/women-cs-oxford/index.html , as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example shared parental leave.

Demonstrating a commitment to provide equality of opportunity, we would particularly welcome applications from women and black and minority ethnic applicants who are currently under-represented within the Computer Science Department. All applicants will be judged on merit, according to the selection criteria.

Advert information