Job description

Job summary

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advert early if the position is filled.

The posts of Research Associate (post-doctoral) or Research Assistant (pre-doctoral) are to conduct world-leading research on novel software and hardware security mechanisms for next-generation cloud computing environments. The goal of the project is to advance the state-of-the-art in the safety, resilience and trustworthiness of future cloud environments by rethinking the design and implementation of cloud software stacks, working across the runtime, operating system, hypervisor and hardware layers.

The successful candidate will join the Large-Scale Data and Systems (LSDS) group, under the supervision of Professor Peter Pietzuch, and work with a team of faculty members, researchers and PhD students, in collaboration with industrial partners.

The post is based in the Department of Computing at Imperial College London at the South Kensington Campus. The Department of Computing is a leading department of Computer Science in the UK and worldwide and has consistently been awarded the highest research rating. In the previous REF assessment, the Department was ranked third (1st in the Research Intensity table published by The Times Higher) and was rated as "Excellent" in the previous national assessment of teaching quality.

Duties and responsibilities

The post offers an exciting opportunity for conducting internationally leading research on new software/hardware security mechanisms in cloud environments, thus having an impact by addressing real-world security problems. The Research Associate/Assistant will be responsible for designing and implementing new secure operating systems, container/virtual machine models, hypervisors and middleware for cloud environments, providing new abstractions and APIs for hardware security features and implementing, evaluating and open-sourcing experimental software prototypes.

The Research Associate/Assistant will carry out a research programme that spans the areas of operating systems, security and computer architecture, undertake research project management and work with a diverse research team. The candidate will also prepare and submit publications to top-tier conferences and journals, publicising research results at premier systems, security and architecture conferences.

For further information on the LSDS group, previous publications and related projects, please see: http://lsds.doc.ic.ac.uk

Essential requirements

To apply for this position, you must have a strong computer science background and have experience, including a proven publication track-record, in one or more of the following areas: operating systems, distributed systems, security and/or computer architecture.

You should also have:

• A PhD degree (Research Associate) or a Master’s degree (Research Assistant) in computer science or a related area.
• Experience with the design and implementation of system software (e.g. operating system (OS) kernels, microkernels, hypervisors, low-level middleware systems) and systems programming languages (e.g. C, C++, Rust).
• Knowledge of compiler technology (e.g. LLVM), computer architecture (e.g. RISC-V, Arm, x86), hardware programming (e.g. assembly, VHDL, Chisel) and hardware isolation technologies (e.g. Intel MPX/MPK/SGX, Arm TrustZone, CHERI)
• Good software development practices, including knowledge of version control, CI pipelines, shell scripting, build systems, etc.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to organise your own work and prioritise deadlines.
• Knowledge of systems research methods, experimental methodologies, and statistical techniques.

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £36,694 - £39,888 per annum.

Further information

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advert early if the position is filled.

In addition to completing the online application, candidates should attach:

• A full CV, with a list of all publications
• A 2-page research statement indicating what you see are interesting research issues relating to the above post and why your expertise is relevant.

Informal enquiries related to the position should be directed to Prof. Peter Pietzuch: prp@imperial.ac.uk

For queries regarding the application process contact Jamie Perrins: j.perrins@imperial.ac.uk

Documents

• JD_RA-TII_-Feb_2022-prp.docx