Senior Research Officer (internal), CSEE

**This vacancy is only available to existing University of Essex staff**

Department

The School of Computer Science and Electronics Engineering (CSEE) has a long-standing tradition on computer networks and artificial intelligence. In the recent Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF’2021), CSEE ranked 6th in the UK for research power and 9th for research impact (Grade Point Average).

The Institute for Analytics and Data Science (IADS) was created in July 2014 to bring together all the University’s expertise and work in analytics and data science. IADS research utilises new forms of data and advanced analytic techniques to tackle social challenges, engage with business and the wider non-academic community, is international in outlook and scope, and multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary by nature.

Duties of the Role

The successful candidate will contribute to the EU Horizon-funded SAFARI project, focusing on AI-driven risk assessment and resilience of critical infrastructures.

Key responsibilities include

• Conducting research on cyber risk analysis, critical infrastructure resilience, and AI-enabled decision support.
• Developing AI and machine learning methods for anomaly detection, risk prediction, and cascading failure forecasting.
• Designing risk identification and propagation models for cyber incidents, system failures, and environmental disruptions.
• Investigating continuous resilience improvement through predictive modelling, learning-based feedback loops, and digital twin simulations.
• Collaborating with international project partners, contributing to project deliverables, publishing research findings, and supporting future research proposals.

A full list of duties and responsibilities of the role can be found within the job pack.

Skills/Qualifications

Essential

• A PhD (or near completion) in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Networks, or a closely related discipline.
• Research experience in network resilience, risk analysis, or cyber resilience of critical infrastructures or distributed systems.
• Knowledge of AI, machine learning, and optimisation techniques.
• Programming skills in C/C++ and Python.
• Evidence of high-quality research activity and a developing publication record.
• Strong communication and collaborative research skills.

A full list of essential and desirable criteria can be found within the job pack.

This is a research position, and no teaching duties are associated to this post. This is a fixed-term position for a maximum of 25 months.

At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.

To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/student-facilities/religion-and-faith.

Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification, which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please email the Resourcing Team (resourcing@essex.ac.uk). 

*More information: Working at the University