PhD in Human-Centered Security and Digital Deception

Aalto University; Espoo; On-site; EUR 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Occupational health benefits

Job summary

Aalto University’s Humans, Security and Privacy group invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher position in Human-Centered Security and Digital Deception (PhD student) at the Otaniemi campus in Espoo, Finland. The role blends human–computer interaction, psychology, and security studies, supervised by Assistant Professor Verena Distler.

Responsibilities include literature synthesis, study design with ethical safeguards, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of findings at top

Qualifications

• Master’s degree completed by the employment start date in a relevant field.
• Strong interest in the psychological and social aspects of human-centered security and privacy.
• Strong English communication skills, including writing scientific texts.
• Experience in at least one: experimental design and analysis, questionnaire development, qualitative interviewing and analysis, or interactive prototyping.
• Willingness to develop complementary methodological skills; strong organisational skills.
• Sensitivity to participants’ experiences and ethical research practice.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing and synthesising relevant scientific literature.
• Developing realistic research scenarios and measurement protocols with your supervisor.
• Designing and conducting studies with human participants, with appropriate ethical safeguards.
• Collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data, including statistical analysis where appropriate.
• Writing research articles and presenting findings at leading scientific venues.
• Collaborating with researchers within the group and its wider network.
• Participating in teaching following the standard practices at the department.

Skills

Experimental design

Questionnaire development

Qualitative interviewing

Interactive prototyping

Statistical analysis

English communication

Independent work

Ethical research practice

Collaboration

Education

Master's degree in HCI/CS/psychology

Job description

Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto has six schools with 16 000 students and a staff of 5200, of which more than 440 are professors. Our main campus is located in Espoo, Finland.

Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The Department of Computer Science is an internationally-oriented community and home to world-class research in modern computer science, combining research on foundations and innovative applications. With over 40 professors and more than 550 employees from 50+ countries, it is the largest department at Aalto University and the leading computer science research unit in northern Europe. Computer science research at Aalto University ranks high in several international surveys (7th in Europe and 1st in the Nordics (NTU 2023); and 88th worldwide in Times Higher Education subject ranking 2025).

The research group Humans, Security and Privacy at the Computer Science Department at Aalto University is looking to hire one Doctoral Researcher in Human-Centered Security and Digital Deception (PhD student). You will be supervised by Assistant Professor Verena Distler. Our interdisciplinary research brings together human–computer interaction, psychology, and human-centered security to understand how people experience security and privacy online, and how they respond to digital deception, including social engineering. We combine empirical research with the design and evaluation of user-centered technologies to support critical judgment, informed decision-making, and user autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing and synthesising relevant scientific literature.
• Developing realistic research scenarios and measurement protocols with your supervisor.
• Designing and conducting studies with human participants, with appropriate ethical safeguards.
• Collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data, including statistical analysis where appropriate.
• Writing research articles and presenting findings at leading scientific venues.
• Collaborating with researchers within the group and its wider network.
• Participating in teaching following the standard practices at the department.

Requirements

• A relevant master’s degree completed by the employment start date, for example in human–computer interaction, computer science, psychology, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• A strong interest in the psychological and social aspects of human-centered security and privacy.
• Strong English communication skills, including the ability to write scientific texts and discuss research.
• Experience in at least one of the following: experimental design and analysis, questionnaire development, qualitative interviewing and analysis, or interactive prototyping.
• Experience in all these areas is not required; willingness to develop complementary methodological skills is essential.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Sensitivity to participants’ experiences and an interest in ethical research practice.

Position Details

• Preferred start date: January15,2027, with flexibility by agreement.
• Contract type: two-year fixed term appointment with an option for two-year renewal.
• Starting salary:3168,20EUR per month.
• Benefits include occupational health benefits. Finland has a comprehensive social security system.
• Annual total workload of research and teaching staff at Aalto University is1612hours.
• Location:Aalto University Otaniemi campus.

Contact: Professor Verena Distler, e-mail "[e-mail]" (research related information) HR Advisor Susanna Holma, e-mail "[e-mail]" (recruitment process)