"Research Fellow (Cryptography, Systems/Security)"

Job Description

We are hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to run research at the intersection of quantum-safe identity and authentication, zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), and AI security. The goal is practical, deployment-ready security: solid security models and proofs, working prototypes, and clear evaluation methods that can translate into auditable, standards-aligned controls for high-assurance identity use cases.

You will work with a cross-disciplinary team in cryptography and systems/security, and, where relevant, consider real-world constraints such as timing/synchronization and side channels. The role involves publishing in leading venues and contributing to open-source software and/or standards-relevant technical outputs.

Research areas (examples)

Quantum-safe identity and authentication

• Design secure architectures for identity workflows (onboarding, account recovery, privileged access, device attestation).
• Develop post-quantum authentication and key management approaches, including credential lifecycle and auditability.
• Build threat models for quantum-capable attackers and plan migration/interoperability strategies.

Zero-knowledge proof systems

• Design and analyze ZKP-based identity and authorization protocols (selective disclosure, anonymous credentials, compliance proofs).
• Study deployment trade-offs (proof size/latency, prover/verifier constraints, batching/recursion, hardware acceleration, side channels).
• Define security properties for real-world, distributed identity stacks.

AI security

• Build secure deployment patterns for LLM/agent systems (isolation, least privilege, policy enforcement, auditable actions).
• Analyze and mitigate LLM threats (prompt injection, data leakage, tool misuse).
• Design identity and authorization for AI agents (authenticated tool use, secure delegation, cryptographic logging).

Key responsibilities

• Lead research projects end-to-end: problem definition, security analysis, prototyping, and evaluation.
• Develop threat models and security requirements, and turn them into measurable controls.
• Produce research outputs: proofs (when needed), protocol specs, and reference implementations.
• Build and test prototypes under realistic adversarial conditions.
• Publish in top security/cryptography venues and contribute to open-source and/or standards-oriented outputs.
• Mentor students and support group research activities.

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Cryptography, Security, or a closely related field.
• At least 1 year experience as postdoc in a related field.
• Demonstrated research strength in at least two of: applied cryptography, authentication/identity systems, ZKPs, systems security, or AI security.
• Strong publication record or clear evidence of research productivity.
• Ability to implement and evaluate security prototypes (e.g., Rust/Go/C++/Python), and to communicate results clearly in writing.
• Open to Fixed Term Contract.

Preferred qualifications

• Hands-on experience with one or more:
  • ZKP frameworks (e.g., SNARK/STARK ecosystems), anonymous credentials, verifiable credentials, secure multi-party protocols.
  • Post-quantum cryptography migration, FIDO2/WebAuthn, secure enclaves/TEEs, attestation, secure logging.
  • LLM/agent security controls, policy enforcement layers, red-teaming, data governance for AI systems.
• Familiarity with standards and assurance approaches (e.g., NIST guidance, ISO/IEC security standards, evaluation methodologies).
• Experience with industry research and requirements.

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus

Organization: College of Design and Engineering