"Research Associate (Cryptography)"

About us

The Department of Informatics is looking to appoint a Research Associate to work in the area of Cryptography.

About the role

The Department of Informatics is looking to appoint a Research Associate to work in the area of cryptography. The candidate will work alongside Prof. Martin Albrecht and other cryptographic researchers in the department on topics in lattice-based cryptography and related fields. The post is funded by an ERC/UKRI Frontier Research grant on investigating practical advanced post-quantum cryptography from lattices. The applicant will work in the cryptography lab in the Cybersecurity group (CYS) in the department. The cryptography lab currently consists of Martin Albrecht, Ngoc Khanh Nguyen, Eamonn Postlethwaite, Benjamin Dowling as well as several students and postdocs. Applicants should have already completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in a relevant discipline. Applicants should have an outstanding research track record in cryptography, ideally in lattice-based cryptography. Applicants should be able to demonstrate scientific creativity, research independence, and the ability to communicate their ideas effectively in written and verbal form. This is a full time (35 hours per week) post, and you will be offered a fixed term contract of two years starting in December 2025 (start date to be confirmed with the successful candidate).

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD in cryptography
2. Publication track record in top cryptographic venues
3. Effective communication: written and verbal

Desirable criteria

1. Ability to work independently
2. Willingness and ability to collaborate
3. Creativity and originality in research

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our How we Recruit pages. Interviews are due to be held in October 2025.