PhD Position in Formal Methods for Concurrent Cryptographic Protocols

EURAXESS Ireland; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 34,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full-time 38-hour week

Holiday entitlement 232 hours/year

8% holiday allowance

8.3% end-of-year bonus

Commuting expense contribution

Job summary

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) invites applications for a First Stage Researcher (R1) to develop formal reasoning principles for concurrent cryptographic protocols and to disseminate results at conferences and through visits.

The role includes light supervision of bachelor/master students and supporting courses as teaching assistants (max two periods a year). The appointment is temporarily 18 months with potential extension.

Qualifications

• A master's degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related subject.
• Experience with functional programming (e.g., Haskell) or proof assistants (e.g. Rocq, Agda, Lean).
• Good communication skills in English
• Optional: experience with cryptography, security or concurrent programming

Responsibilities

• Carry out research towards developing formal reasoning principles for concurrent cryptographic protocols.
• Light supervision duties for bachelor and/or master students.
• Support courses as teaching assistants (maximum two periods a year).

Skills

Functional programming (Haskell)

Proof assistants

English communication

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science or Mathematics

Job description

Organisation/Company Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) Research Field Computer science » Programming Computer science » Informatics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 30 Oct 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

You will carry out research towards developing formal reasoning principles for concurrent cryptographic protocols and participate in the dissemination of results (conferences, research visits, etc.). In addition, you will perform light supervision duties for bachelor and/or master students and support our courses as teaching assistants (maximum two periods a year).

• A master’s degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related subject.
• Experience with functional programming (e.g., Haskell) or proof assistants (e.g. Rocq, Agda, Lean).
• Good communication skills in English
• Optional: experience with cryptography, security or concurrent programming

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.
We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

Additional Information

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of € 3.059,00 (scale 85-0) gross per month in the first year, increasing to € 3.881,00 (scale 85-3) in the fourth year, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile PhD candidate.
• an employment contract of initially 18 months. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• contribution to commuting expenses

Additional comments

Are you interested in this position, and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application. The starting date for the position is 01/09/2026 or as otherwise agreed upon.
Contact details:
Sabine Oechsner ( [e-mail] )
Kristina Sojakova ( [e-mail] )