WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Research Associate: A PhD degree (or equivalent) in (a) cryptography, (b) cybersecurity, (c) blockchains, (d) electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, or a closely related discipline or equivalent research or industrial experience.
• Research Assistant: A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the general area of (a) cryptography, (b) cybersecurity, (c) blockchains, (d) electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, or a closely related discipline or equivalent research or industrial experience.
• Candidates with experience in software implementation are strongly encouraged.
• Experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant refereed conferences and journals.
• Practical experience related to a broad range of techniques, including,
• blockchains
• implementation of algorithms
• security and privacy
• Knowledge in at least two areas of:
• mathematics
• cryptography
• electrical and electronic engineering
• computer science.
• Ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines, and to work with minimal supervision..

Please see job description for full list of requirements.

• Candidates who have not yet officially received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, salary range: £43,003 - £46,297.

AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.
Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.
We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don’t hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We’re here to help.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking to appoint a Research Assistant/Research Associate for the EPSRC project “Post-Quantum Blockchains Based on FALCON++” (EP/X037010/1) which investigates how blockchains can be migrated to quantum-safe protocols. Specifically, we propose to modify a lattice-based post-quantum digital signature scheme, FALCON (Fast-Fourier Lattice-based Compact Signatures over NTRU), and implement this FALCON++ signature scheme in a prototype blockchain implementation. This will provide us with an excellent platform to compare classical and post-quantum digital signatures in the context of blockchains. The project is a collaboration between Imperial’s Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and the Department of Computing.

WHAT YOU WOULD BE DOING

The role of the postholder will be to support technical aspects of the research programme, especially as related to the development of a prototype implementation of a quantum-safe blockchain. The postholder will be expected to undertake project management tasks, supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students, and to coauthor publications in refereed conferences and journals.