Postdoctoral Researcher/Assistant Research Scientist – AI, Cybersecurity & High-Performance Research Computing

Texas A&M University - Central Texas; Killeen (TX); On-site; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas A&M University - Central Texas invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher/Assistant or Associate Research Scientist specializing in AI, cybersecurity, and High-Performance Computing. The position is housed in the Center for Cybersecurity Innovation on campus in Killeen, Texas.

The role focuses on agentic AI for cybersecurity, real-time threat detection, and privacy-preserving techniques, with a new multi-user HPC lab.

Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, or related field.
• Strong programming background in Python and C/C++.
• High self-motivation, creativity, and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead or assist the deployment and configuration of a standalone HPC lab environment.
• Architect and evaluate AI/ML frameworks for threat detection and mitigation.
• Design and evaluate agentic AI systems for cyber use cases such as automated threat hunting.
• Conduct rigorous empirical evaluations of AI performance and privacy safeguards.
• Supervise undergraduate and graduate researchers.
• Publish high-impact manuscripts with empirical benchmarks.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Agentic AI

Team-oriented

Education

PhD in CS/CE/IS/SE/AI

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Keras

Jupyter

Job description

Job Title

Postdoctoral Researcher/Assistant Research Scientist – AI, Cybersecurity & High-Performance Research Computing Agency Texas A&M University - Central Texas Department College of Business Administration Proposed Minimum Salary$6,666.67 monthly Job LocationKilleen, Texas Job TypeStaff

Job Description

Texas A&M University–Central Texas invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher/Assistant or Associate Research Scientist position with expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and High-Performance Computing (HPC). The successful candidate will be self-motivated, creative, and team-oriented, with a strong background or research interests in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity. We are especially interested in candidates with hands-on experience applying agentic AI to cybersecurity, for example, autonomous or multi-agent, tool-using systems for threat detection, incident response, or vulnerability assessment. You will work in the Center for Cybersecurity Innovation at Texas A&M University – Central Texas, as we actively expand our research focus to include emerging areas such as agentic AI, next-generation deep learning architectures, privacy-preserving techniques, automated frameworks for real-time cyber threat detection and mitigation, and the design and implementation of a dedicated High-Performance Computing (HPC) lab. This standalone HPC facility will serve as an open, high-capacity computing infrastructure accessible to researchers, faculty, and students across the university. In this position, you will design and implement practical, agentic AI solutions for cybersecurity anomaly detection, conduct real-world empirical evaluations, explore innovative techniques for privacy preservation, and assist in the setup, configuration, and ongoing operational rollout of the new multi-user HPC lab environment. This position is currently funded through a grant with an anticipated funding end date of November 22, 2027. Texas A&M University - Central Texas is committed to retaining this position after the grant has ended, if financially feasible.

Responsibilities

• Lead or assist with the technical implementation, deployment, and configuration of a standalone High-Performance Computing (HPC) lab environment; help establish user onboarding protocols, multi-tenant resource management policies, and hardware access workflows so the facility can be used broadly by cross-disciplinary researchers and students.
• Architect, implement, and evaluate next-generation AI/ML frameworks (including agentic AI, deep learning, and privacy-preserving methods) for threat detection and mitigation.
• Design, build, and evaluate agentic AI systems (e.g., autonomous or multi-agent, tool-using LLM-based agents) for cybersecurity use cases such as automated threat hunting, incident triage/response, and vulnerability assessment.
• Execute rigorous experimental evaluations to benchmark AI performance and privacy safeguards in realistic cybersecurity environments.
• Supervise and guide undergraduate and graduate research assistants working on AI and cybersecurity initiatives.
• Author high-impact manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and top-tier conference proceedings, providing empirical benchmarks for the broader research community.

Minimum Requirements

• Earned doctorate in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, or a closely related field; or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Strong programming background (e.g., Python, C/C++).
• High self-motivation, creativity, and a collaborative mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1–3 years of experience in cybersecurity, AI research, and/or high-performance computing (HPC) lab environments.
• Demonstrated experience with agentic AI (e.g., autonomous or multi-agent, tool-using LLM-based systems) applied to cybersecurity problems such as threat detection, automated incident response, or vulnerability assessment.
• Hands-on proficiency with AI frameworks and libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, Jupyter).
• A track record of peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Experience conducting empirical evaluations, user studies, or usability assessments.

Salary

Salary: $80,000 Hours: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am to 5pm. Occasional weeknights and/or weekends.

Supervision of Others

This position does not supervise employees.

Work Location

This is not a remote position. The selected candidate will be required to work on campus.

Security and Background Checks

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity and Applicant Information

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer. The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a statewide network of twelve universities, eight state agencies, a comprehensive health science center, Texas A&M-Fort Worth and Texas A&M-RELLIS. The A&M System is committed to providing an educational and work environment that is conducive to the personal and professional development of each employee. Each member institution provides equal opportunity and access to all students, employees and prospective employees.

External Applicants - Applicants not currently employed by a Texas A&M System member may Search Postings and apply for positions within one or more A&M System members by selecting the job posting. Internal Applicants - This site lists job postings throughout The Texas A&M University System. It is intended for applicants not currently employed by a member of the system. Current employees should apply for jobs on the Internal Career site. The Texas A&M System is an Equal Opportunity/ Veterans/ Disability Employer.