PhD in Generative AI for Cyber Protection, Malware Analysis, and Vulnerability Detection

University of Turku; Turku; On-site; EUR 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded PhD

Publish opportunities

European collaborations

Training courses for researchers

Job summary

The Department of Computing at the University of Turku invites applications for a full-time Doctoral Researcher position focusing on Generative AI for cyber protection and threat detection. You will join a Horizon Europe project, develop AI-driven cybersecurity agents, and collaborate with European researchers and industry partners to advance defense against unknown threats.

This is a fully funded, fixed-term role with competitive salary (OV02-04) and opportunities to publish, train, and develop

Qualifications

• MSc degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, AI, or Cybersecurity.
• Solid foundation in cybersecurity or machine learning, LLMs.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; strong English communication; programming skills like Python, C++, Rust.

Responsibilities

• Develop AI-driven cybersecurity agents to autonomously learn, detect, and mitigate threats.
• Build generative detection frameworks and explain malware behaviors.
• Collaborate with European researchers and industrial security partners within Horizon Europe.
• Contribute to reinforcement learning-based red/blue team simulations to harden defenses.

Skills

Python

C++

Machine Learning

Education

MSc in Computer Science/Math/AI/Cybersecurity

Job description

The Department of Computing at the Faculty of Technology invites applications for a full-time Doctoral Researcher position. This role focuses on Generative AI for Cyber Protection & Threat Detection. The fixed-term position starts based on mutual agreement, and ends on 31.8.2029, which is the estimated end date of the project. The project end date may change, in which case the position ends accordingly.

Job description

This position is integrated into a high-impact Horizon Europe research project. As a Doctoral Researcher, you will work on developing a suite of proactive, AI-driven cybersecurity "expert" agents capable of autonomously learning, detecting, and mitigating unknown threats in complex, adversarial environments. You will join an elite, interdisciplinary team, collaborating closely with leading academic researchers and industrial security architects across Europe. Develop the Adaptive Threat Intelligence Correlation Expert and Generative Anomaly Detection Expert, utilizing generative reasoning to uncover latent attack campaigns and multi-dimensional network anomalies. Combine multimodal analysis, binary embeddings, and Transformer models to build generative detection frameworks capable of identifying and explaining malware behaviors. Combine Generative AI with reinforcement learning to autonomously synthesize and optimize fuzzing test inputs for vulnerability discovery. Contribute to the Adaptive Red/Blue Team Framework, simulating attack strategies via reinforcement learning and evolutionary computation to continuously harden defense models.

Who we are looking for

MSc degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, or Cybersecurity. A solid foundation in cybersecurity, or machine learning, LLMs. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken, e.g., with a valid International English certificate, IELTS or TOEFL). Programming skills (e.g., Python, C++, Rust). Interest in collaborative research with both academia and industry.

Qualification requirements

The eligibility criteria for prospective applicants are defined in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: university-of-turku-rules-of-procedure.pdf. A person selected for the post of Doctoral Researcher is required to have a right to pursue a doctoral degree at University of Turku. In addition, when acquiring their degree or otherwise, they are required to have demonstrated the ability to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan. Please note that before obtaining the study right for a Doctoral Program, the job title will be Project Researcher, and the employment contract will be made until 31.3.2027. The candidate is expected to apply for the study right in the next available Autumn 2026 call to e.g. the Doctoral Programme in Technology. Thus, please check the student information and application criteria Doctoral Programme in Technology - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants | University of Turku (please pay attention to the mandatory skill level in English). Read more about the University of Turku's doctoral programmes and how to apply for study rights Join us for your doctoral studies at the University of Turku! | University of Turku In exceptional cases, we may also consider applicants who have completed nearly all the studies required for a master's degree in a relevant field. In such cases, the job title at the start of the employment will be Research Assistant and the starting salary (OV1) is on average 2400 euros/month, depending on competence and experience. We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Benefits

A fully funded Doctoral Researcher position in an internationally recognized research environment. Opportunities to publish in top-tier cybersecurity journals and flag-ship conferences. Opportunities to collaborate with and visit outstanding European universities and industrial partners. Training courses for academic researchers, e.g., proposal writing, scientific writing, project development, teaching qualification. A vibrant, international, and supportive research community. We offer you responsible and interesting tasks and the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a versatile operating environment. You get a professional and inspiring team to support your work. We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with the help of flexible working hours and our well-being services. Please read more about University of Turku as an employer from our Come work with us! pages. The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research quality label. The label is a token of the University's commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers. The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland: City of Turku Welcome visitor International House of Turku This is Finland Careers in Southwest Finland Finland - a superpower of education and innovations | University of Turku (utu.fi) The University of Turku is among the top of the world’s universities in most rankings and among the best universities in the world in certain fields. Our high-quality basic research, a multidisciplinary research profile and close cooperation in research infrastructures creates the basis for international top research. Read more about University of Turku in international university rankings. The University of Turku has several high-quality research infrastructures required for cutting-edge research. Learn more about the roadmap of research infrastructures and the research infrastructure and expert teams offer tailored solutions for businesses and organizations.

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel and will depend on the degree and qualifications of the applicant. For a doctoral/project researcher (OV02-OV04), the salary will be in the beginning of the employment on average 2500–2700 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills. The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared. A six (6) month trial period applies to the position.

Further information

Home page of the research group: http://www.utu.fi/cyber For further information about the position, please contact: Associate Professor Kaitai Liang, [e-mail]. With questions about the application process, please contact: HR Specialist Nina Reini, [e-mail].

The position will be filled if the project is implemented.

University of Turku reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.