Opportunity for a pre-doctoral research assistant in blockchain

The Department of Computing is seeking to hire a pre-doctoral research assistant in blockchain to work in the Digital Assets Research Lab.

Salary range: £31,740 to £33,370 per annum

Contract length: Full-time, fixed term appointment up to 31st March 2020

To start as soon as possible

The Department of Computing is a leading department of Computer Science among UK Universities, and has consistently been awarded the highest research rating. In the 2014 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.

The Imperial College Centre for Cryptocurrency Research and Engineering was established in April 2015 as a joint initiative of the Department of Computing and the Faculty of Engineering in recognition of the potential for blockchain and smart contract technology to fundamentally change the way human society deals with contracts, identity, patents, copyright, votes, and more.

An opportunity has arisen for a Research Assistant, at the pre-doctoral level, to join the Digital Assets Research Lab in the Centre for Cryptocurrency Research and Engineering. The postholder will work under the supervision of Prof William Knottenbelt and Dr Catherine Mulligan from Imperial, on topics related to digital assets, blockchain protocols and smart contracts.

It is expected that the postholder will concurrently join the PhD programme in the Department of Computing, with a view to completing a blockchain-related PhD dissertation under the supervision of Prof Knottenbelt and Dr Mulligan.

To apply for this position, you will have a strong bachelors or master’s degree (or equivalent) in computer science, or closely related discipline, and a passion for exploring the frontiers of technology. You must have excellent communication skills and be able to organise your own work and prioritise work to meet deadlines.

All applicants must be fluent in spoken and written English. The ideal candidate will have some background in blockchain, distributed ledger or smart contract technology, having for example, pursued a group or individual project in this domain.

How to apply

Our preferred method of application is online via our website (please select “job search” then enter the job title or vacancy reference number EN20170064LE into “keywords”).

Please complete and upload an application form as directed.Applications must include the following:

• A college application form
• A full CV
• A 2-page research statement indicating what you see are interesting research issues relating to the above post and why your expertise is relevant.

Should you have any queries regarding the application process please contact Georgina Tennant on: g.tennant@imperial.ac.uk.

Closing Date: 18 April 2017

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