Research Fellow in Verification or Security or Concurrent/Distributed Systems

University of Surrey; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established academic institution is seeking a passionate Research Fellow to contribute to groundbreaking research in verification and security within computer science. This role involves formal modelling, theorem proving, and working with cutting-edge technology in a collaborative environment. The successful candidate will join a dynamic team, engaging with world-class researchers and contributing to projects that shape the future of cybersecurity. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, this position offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in a supportive academic setting.

Benefits

Generous Pension

Relocation Assistance

Flexible Working Options

Access to Leisure Facilities

Travel Schemes

Family Friendly Benefits

On-site Nursery

Qualifications

• Strong research in formal modelling, verification, or security.
• Proven publication record in relevant areas.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research in verification and security properties.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams on complex problems.

Skills

Formal Modelling

Verification

Logic

Theorem Provers

Model Checkers

Programming Languages

Type Systems

Concurrent Algorithms

Distributed Algorithms

Education

PhD in Computer Science

Tools

NVIDIA Hardware

Intel Optane

Intel SGX

Job description

Research Fellow in Verification or Security or Concurrent/Distributed Systems

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research.

We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee.

Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively, and individually, make a real difference.

About the role

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Surrey is seeking to recruit a full-time postdoctoral research fellow to work on a range of topics in the areas including:

• formal modelling, verification and/or logic;
• interactive and automated tools, such as theorem provers and model checkers;
• proofs of safety and/or security properties;
• programming languages and/or type systems;
• concurrent and/or distributed algorithms; and related topics.

The successful applicant will work in a multidisciplinary team under the guidance of Brijesh Dongol (PI) and Gregory Chockler (co-I), as well as a large team of academics (Imperial, Kent, Sheffield, MPI-SWS, Cornell, IMDEA, etc) and industrial collaborators (Arm, NVIDIA, Galois), researchers and PhD students.

Research Environment

Surrey is recognized by the NCSC as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research and offers a thriving research environment with world-leading researchers. Brijesh Dongol is a Director of the NCSC/UK Research Institute on Verified Trustworthy Software Systems (VeTSS, https://vetss.org.uk/ )hosted jointly at Surrey and Imperial.

Our research includes security verification, protocol design and analysis, distributed and network systems, concurrency, data privacy, privacy preserving security, and applied cryptography. We offer access to a variety of cutting-edge hardware testbeds including a 7-node RDMA cluster (NVIDIA) as well as machines equipped with persistent memory (Intel Optane) and trusted execution environments (Intel SGX).

The University is committed to equality and diversity. Research staff at the Department are supported and encouraged in their career development through mentoring and early career researcher training. The Department fosters a collegial and collaborative atmosphere, in which individuals are valued for the varied skills and perspectives they bring.

About you

We are looking for applicants that demonstrate strong research in one or more of the above areas backed by a strong publication record.

Applicants must have or be close to obtaining a PhD in Computer Science.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV, cover letter, Research Proposal and Recent Relevant Publication with your application on the university website. The deadline for applications is 23 May'25 .

This is a fixed term contract up to 31/08/2026, with the possibility of an extension.

The University of Surrey reserves the right to close this vacancy early/later based on Volume and Calibre of applications.

For more informationand to apply online, please download the further details and click on the 'apply online' button above.

In return we offer a generous pension, relocation assistance where appropriate , flexible working options including job share and blended home/campus working locations (dependent on work duties), access to world-class leisure facilities on campus, a range of travel schemes and supportive family friendly benefits including an excellent on-site nursery.

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

The University of Surrey is committed to providing an inclusive environment that offers equal opportunities for all. We place great value on diversity and are seeking to increase the diversity within our community. Therefore we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.