Are you curious to understand when bugs turn into exploitable vulnerabilities, and how we can reliably predict which parts of the code are the most sensitive to privilege escalation – and how deep learning based vulnerability prediction can best help both coders and security analysts? Eager to see whether we are indeed protecting the data and systems we should care about most, such as medical records, real-time control systems, or the ever-more-pervasive smart-home systems, and to further our understanding on the balance between controls and functionality involved? And the other way round: see what threats these ‘smart systems‘ themselves pose to their environment?

If you see yourself making an impact in any of these areas – or you have other interesting cybersecurity topics to bring to the table – you should consider joining our Department of Advanced Computing Sciences (DACS) as an Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity. DACS is an international community of ~100 researchers at various stages of their career, embedded in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Our department has nearly 30 years’ experience with research and teaching in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.

What are you going to do?

To strengthen our research initiatives on cybersecurity, we are looking for a scientist with expertise in areas like: computer security, cryptography, ethical hacking, security for the cloud, embedded systems and/or IoT devices. Research on emerging cybersecurity topics, for instance: post-quantum cryptography, artificial intelligence for cybersecurity, and digital forensics – is particularly welcome.

As our new colleague, you will contribute to DACS research. Our research activities span the entire spectrum from curiosity-driven research to responsible societal applications, often taking on an interdisciplinary character. Contributions to areas such as multi-agent systems, (medical) signal and image processing, FAIR principles, game theory, intelligent search techniques and affective computing are internationally recognized. What makes our research so interesting is that DACS maintains an industry network with over 80 private collaborators ranging from local SMEs to large multinationals. The department designs and develops data-driven solutions for a wide variety of business applications in sectors including transport and logistics, healthcare, and production and manufacturing. This why you can contribute to science and our society of tomorrow!

In addition to your research, you will contribute to our top-rated education. Our department offers one bachelor’s program and two master programs, all of which are nationally ranked among the top of their kind and involve a mix of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Applied Mathematics. In September 2023, we will also launch a new bachelor in Computer Science. You will have an important voice in developing our education programs.

Who are you?

We seek a colleague who is passionate about research and who enjoys teaching. You feel at home in a strongly international and diverse community like ours. Furthermore, we are looking to welcome someone who fosters collaboration at all levels.

Our ideal candidate has:

• A PhD degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science or a strongly related field;
• Preferably 2 years working experience in an academic environment post-PhD;
• A proven track record in research and teaching;
• Experience with funding acquisition at national and European level;

What are we offering you?

We offer a position (1.0 FTE) as Assistant Professor for 18 months. Upon satisfactory performance, this position will become permanent.

We offer a salary as stipulated in the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities (CAO-NU). Within this framework, we offer a competitive salary with a minimum of € 3.974 and a maximum of € 6.181 per month (depending on your experience) for a full-time position of 38 hours/week. On top of this, there is an annual holiday allowance (8% of annual income) and an annual end-of-year bonus (8.3% of annual income).

Applicants from outside The Netherlands may be eligible for the so-called 30% ruling, a tax cut for highly skilled migrants that applies for a maximum of five years. If you are moving to Maastricht from more than 40 kilometers away, you may qualify for a one-time reimbursement of your relocation costs

Besides that, the University offers excellent secondary work conditions. Notable terms include a pension scheme, an optional collective healthcare plan and partially paid parental leave. Furthermore, Maastricht University uses a selection model, which allows you to exchange employment conditions to adapt them to your preferences and circumstances. For more information, see www.maastrichtuniversity.nl

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 22,000 students and 5,000 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.

http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

Department of Advanced Computing Sciences | The Department of Advanced Computing Sciences is Maastricht University’s largest and oldest department broadly covering the fields of artificial intelligence, data science, computer science, mathematics and robotics.  

Over 100 researchers work and study in the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, whose roots trace back to 1987. The department’s staff teaches approximately 800 bachelor’s and master’s students in 3 specialized study programmes in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. 

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/dacs

Faculty of Science and Engineering | Maastricht University heavily invests in the growth of its STEM research and education. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is one of the focal points of these developments. Within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, over 260 researchers and more than 2,700 students work on themes such as data science and artificial intelligence, circularity and sustainability, and fundamental physics.

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fse

Living and working in Maastricht | DACS is housed in the historical city of Maastricht, The Netherlands. Situated in the heart of Europe and within 30 kilometers from the German and Belgian borders, Maastricht and its 120,000 inhabitants have a strong international character. It is a safe and family-friendly city with a history spanning more than 2,000 years. The city’s rich past is reflected everywhere in the streets: the ratio of monuments-to-inhabitants is roughly 1:73. If you are unfamiliar with The Netherlands, UM’s Knowledge Centre for International Staff will gladly assist you with practical matters such as housing.