Research Scientist, AI and Systems Security - PhD New College Grad 2026

2100 NVIDIA USA; Westford (MA); On-site; USD 168,000 - 265,000; Full time

Job summary

NVIDIA Corporation is seeking a Research Scientist to advance security, safety, and privacy across AI models, systems, and cybersecurity. You will collaborate across hardware, software, research, and product teams to translate research into practical, secure platforms.

In this role you will contribute to three areas: AI model security, AI-enabled design/verification of secure systems, and AI for cybersecurity, with emphasis on rigorous evaluation and impactful publications.

Qualifications

• PhD in CS, CE, EE or related field with strong security/AI/architecture research.
• Proven record of publications, patents, or collaborations.
• Deep expertise in at least one area: AI security, secure systems design/verification, or AI for cybersecurity.

Responsibilities

• Advance security, safety, and privacy of AI models and systems across the lifecycle.
• Develop AI-enabled methods to design, analyze, implement, and verify secure computer systems.
• Advance AI for cybersecurity with vulnerability discovery, threat detection, and automated defense.
• Collaborate across hardware, software, research, and product teams and publish original work.

Skills

C language

C++

Python

Research publications

Education

PhD in Computer Science/Engineering

Job description

We are looking for a Research Scientist to advance security, safety, and privacy across three complementary research areas: (1) security of AI models and systems; (2) AI-enabled design and verification of secure computer systems; and (3) AI for cybersecurity. The first area includes making AI models, agents, data pipelines, runtimes, and accelerated computing platforms secure, safe, private, and resilient to attack, misuse, data leakage, and other failures. AI-enabled design and verification includes using AI, together with systems and formal techniques, to design, analyze, implement, and verify secure hardware and software systems. AI for cybersecurity includes applying AI to vulnerability discovery, secure systems development, threat detection, incident analysis, and automated defense. Across these three areas, we aim to build secure, safe, and private systems from first principles by co-designing hardware, software, AI models, algorithms, and operational controls. Our goal is to provide strong, measurable, and where possible verifiable protection while preserving performance, energy efficiency, and usability. We welcome researchers with depth in one area and interest in contributing across the broader agenda. NVIDIA is a leader in accelerated computing and AI systems. This role offers the opportunity to shape the security and safety foundations of emerging AI platforms, develop new approaches for AI-enabled secure system design and verification, and advance AI-powered cybersecurity in collaboration with research, product, and engineering teams.

What you'll be doing:

• Advance the security, safety, and privacy of AI models and systems across the full lifecycle, including data collection, training, model and agent behavior, inference, deployment, and platform operations.
• Develop AI-enabled methods to design, analyze, implement, and verify computer systems, including hardware architectures, system software, runtimes, compilers, and applications; rigorously evaluate security, safety, privacy, performance, and efficiency tradeoffs.
• Advance AI for cybersecurity by developing techniques for vulnerability discovery, secure code generation and review, threat detection, incident analysis, security validation, and automated defense.
• Collaborate across hardware, software, research, and product teams; publish original research; and help translate research advances into practical systems and developer capabilities.

What we need to see:

• A Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with a strong research background in security, AI/ML, computer architecture, operating systems, formal methods, programming languages and compilers, software systems, or other related areas.
• A record of research excellence demonstrated through publications, open-source systems, patents, technology transfer, or substantial research collaborations.
• Deep expertise in at least one of the three research areas—security of AI models and systems, AI-enabled design and verification of secure computer systems, or AI for cybersecurity—with the ability to connect that depth to challenges across the hardware/software stack.
• Strong experimental research and prototyping skills, including the ability to build systems, define threat models, design meaningful evaluations, and analyze security and performance tradeoffs.
• Strong programming skills in C, C++, Python, and/or relevant systems and machine-learning frameworks, along with clear written and verbal communication skills.

We are looking for creative, collaborative, and self-directed researchers who want to secure AI models and systems, use AI to help design and verify secure computer systems, and expand what AI can do for cybersecurity. Candidates do not need to be experts in all three areas, but should be excited to work across disciplines and help turn new ideas into high-impact research and technology. NVIDIA has continuously reinvented itself over two decades. This is our life's work - to amplify human imagination and intelligence. With highly competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package, NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers! We have some of the most hardworking, resourceful and dedicated people in the world working for us.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and other objective job-related factors. The expected base salary range for this position is 168,000 USD - 264,500 USD. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until November 10, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy. NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes. NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

NVIDIA pioneered accelerated computing. Today, our AI infrastructure powers global intelligence, transforming every industry. Learn more about NVIDIA.