Post-Doctoral Associate - Security Privacy

New York University; Al Ruways Industrial City; On-site; AED 257,069 - 330,517; Full time

Job summary

New York University Abu Dhabi seeks a Post-Doctoral Associate in Security Privacy to conduct vital research in digital security and privacy protection. This role involves leading projects that combine applied security and machine learning to develop AI-enabled defenses against online threats.

Ideal candidates should have a PhD in a related field and a passion for tackling digital privacy challenges. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute significantly to research that addresses pressing issues in today's digital landscape, fostering a culture of collaboration and academic excellence.

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Cyber Security, or related discipline.
• Less than 5 years of post-PhD experience.
• Demonstrated research experience in security and privacy.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects in applied security and privacy.
• Investigate harmful online phenomena.
• Develop security countermeasures.

Skills

Security research

Privacy research

Applied machine learning

Internet measurements

Web measurement studies

Online safety research

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Programming

Job description

Job Snapshot

Role: Post‑Doctoral Associate – Security Privacy
Location: AbuDhabi, United Arab Emirates
Industry: Higher Education
Function: R & D – Science
Experience: PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, security, privacy, applied machine learning, or related field
Job Type: Full‑time

Overview

Post‑Doctoral Associate – Security Privacy in AbuDhabi, United Arab Emirates is a focused Higher Education research opportunity for a PhD‑qualified researcher interested in digital security, privacy protection, applied machine learning, Internet measurements, and AI‑based defenses. The role is based within the Haven Lab at NewYork University AbuDhabi and is suited for a researcher who can help advance high‑impact work on harmful online phenomena, privacy‑preserving digital systems, on‑device AI security, and attacks and defenses for AI‑based systems.

Job Context

The Post‑Doctoral Associate – Security Privacy will contribute to the Haven Lab's mission of helping individuals gain stronger control over their privacy and better protection from digital threats. The role supports research that combines applied security, privacy engineering, systems building, machine learning, and large‑scale Internet measurement. This position has strong academic and practical value because it focuses on designing digital services and AI‑enabled systems where user privacy, safety, and resilience are treated as core requirements rather than secondary features.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to research projects in applied security, digital privacy, machine learning security, Internet measurement, and AI‑based defensive systems.
• Investigate harmful online phenomena through large‑scale web measurements, data analysis, system characterization, and evidence‑based research methods.
• Develop AI‑based countermeasures for security and privacy challenges, with particular attention to on‑device and resource‑aware settings.
• Study attacks and defenses involving AI‑based systems, including model misuse, adversarial behavior, privacy risks, and security weaknesses.
• Build research prototypes, experimental systems, data collection pipelines, measurement tools, and analytical workflows to support lab projects.
• Help define and refine research directions, methodologies, experimental designs, and evaluation strategies within the Haven Lab.
• Collaborate on high‑impact publications, research statements, technical reports, presentations, and academic submissions.
• Mentor PhD, Master’s, and Bachelor’s students by guiding research planning, implementation, experimentation, writing, and project execution.
• Participate in developing coursework, academic activities, community outreach initiatives, workshops, or research‑focused events.
• Engage with academic collaborators, industry partners, and multidisciplinary teams to strengthen the lab's security and privacy research agenda.
• Apply strong programming, analytical reasoning, and technical problem‑solving skills to new systems, datasets, and research environments.
• Maintain responsible research practices when handling sensitive data, user privacy issues, measurement ethics, and security‑related experiments.
• Support a collaborative lab culture built around scientific quality, practical relevance, privacy protection, and user‑centered digital safety.

Ideal Profile

• PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Engineering, Cyber Security, Privacy, Applied Machine Learning, or a closely related discipline.
• Less than 5 years of experience after receipt of PhD.
• Demonstrated research experience in at least one relevant area such as web measurement, online safety, digital privacy, applied security, AI security, or machine learning‑based defenses.
• Strong understanding of security and privacy research methods, experimental design, systems implementation, or large‑scale measurement work.
• Good programming ability with willingness to learn and work with new technologies, platforms, datasets, systems, and research tools.
• Background in applied machine learning, systems building, Internet measurements, adversarial ML, privacy‑preserving systems, or on‑device AI would be valuable.
• Ability to develop publishable research ideas and contribute to top‑quality academic work.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret technical findings, evaluate risks, and communicate results clearly.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for papers, presentations, mentoring, collaboration, and outreach.
• Comfortable working in a multidisciplinary academic environment with students, faculty, researchers, and external partners.
• Motivated to contribute to research that improves user privacy, online safety, trustworthy AI, and protection from digital threats.

Skills Set

• Security research
• Privacy research
• Applied machine learning
• Internet measurements
• Web measurement studies
• Online safety research
• Harmful online phenomena analysis
• AI‑based security defenses
• AI privacy countermeasures
• On‑device AI
• Machine learning security
• AI attacks and defenses
• Systems building
• Research prototyping
• Data collection pipelines
• Large‑scale data analysis
• Experimental methodology
• Programming
• Analytical problem‑solving
• Cyber security concepts
• Privacy engineering
• Responsible data handling
• Research writing
• Academic publishing
• Student mentoring
• Coursework support
• Outreach activities
• Academic collaboration
• Industry collaboration
• Technical presentations

Why Join Us

This opportunity gives a Post‑Doctoral Associate – Security Privacy the chance to work on research that directly addresses modern digital risks, privacy challenges, online harms, and AI‑enabled security threats. The position offers a strong platform for building an academic research profile through impactful publications, collaborative projects, student mentorship, and exposure to applied security and privacy problems with real‑world relevance. Working in AbuDhabi within NewYork University AbuDhabi's international Higher Education environment also provides access to a vibrant research community, competitive employment terms, and the chance to contribute to technology that makes digital systems safer and more privacy‑aware.

About the Company

NewYork University AbuDhabi is a leading global research university campus in the United Arab Emirates, combining advanced scholarship, international collaboration, and multidisciplinary academic excellence. Through its Division of Engineering and Center for Cyber Security, the university supports research that addresses urgent challenges in digital safety, privacy, AI systems, and secure computing. NYU AbuDhabi provides a strong environment for researchers who want to develop meaningful solutions, publish high‑quality work, mentor emerging talent, and contribute to innovative research with regional and global impact.