PROFESSOR IN SECURE AND DEPENDABLE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS AND SERVICES (ref. ZAP-2021-57)

In the Science, Engineering and Technology Group of KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Computer Science, there is a full-time academic vacancy for a professor in the area of secure and dependable software systems and services on Campus Arenberg. This area is interpreted broadly, and includes for example the resilience, reliability and security of digital services, of software products and of Internet-based systems. We are looking for an internationally orientated candidate with both educational competence and excellent research experience in computer science, and with extensive expertise in the field of secure and robust software systems and services. The new faculty member will become a member of the DistriNet unit, an internationally leading research group with recognized expertise in the areas of security, distributed systems and software engineering. Candidates will be expected to develop an ambitious research programme that integrates well with the current research activities of the research group. Candidates should also be prepared to provide scientific services both within and outside the university, and to contribute to education at bachelor and master level.

Duties

We are looking for a candidate with demonstrated expertise in secure and dependable software services and software systems. This broad area includes foundations, techniques and supporting tools to create dependable and secure software, be it at the service and application level, at the system level, or both. You already have obtained excellent research results on some topics within this area, including but not limited to:

• security and dependability at various levels of the software technology stack: from the application and service layer over middleware, virtualization, operating systems, and microkernels,
• secure, dependable and fault tolerant  distributed systems,
• security and dependability of tools and platforms, such as development and certification tools, verifiers and compilers,
• the application of security and dependability solutions in various types of contemporary technologies, such as  cyber-physical systems, cloud-based systems, the web, mobile environments and applications, wireless systems, IoT, critical infrastructures etc.,
• quantitative, statistical and empirical methods for research in security and dependable software systems and services,
• trusted computing technology, and the application of this technology in the construction of secure and dependable systems and services,
• foundational methods in secure and dependable systems, modeling and enforcement of security policies, 
• support and verification of relevant properties in software systems and services, e.g. safety, availability, reliability, fault tolerance,

As a faculty member, you develop a research program at an international level in one of these areas. You are expected to publish in this area at the highest scientific level, and to acquire competitive funding and supervise PhD students.

You provide high-quality education in computer science and secure systems in the Faculty of Engineering Science and the Faculty of Science, in the master and bachelor programme, with a clear commitment to the quality of the programme as a whole. You should have evidence of your skills and qualities with respect to teaching at an academic level, or a strong willingness to develop these skills and qualities.

You contribute to the faculty’s and the university’s pedagogical project by guiding student projects (for example bachelor’s and master’s theses) and by supervising PhD students.

You develop your teaching in accordance with KU Leuven’s views on activating and researched-based education, and make use of the possibilities for educational professionalization offered by the faculty and the university.

You are prepared to provide scientific, societal and internal services. You play an active part in profiling the Department of Computer Science towards new students and the wider professional field by participating in open days, networking events, fairs, etc.

Profile

You have a PhD in Computer Science, or an equivalent degree. You have a strong track record in research in the field of secure systems, broadly construed. 

You have a strong research profile. The quality of your research is proven by publications in leading international journals and conferences. International experience is an important advantage.

You have demonstrable qualities related to academic education. The ability to immediately take on a wide range of educational tasks is an advantage. 

You possess organisational skills and have a cooperative attitude. You also possess leadership competencies in a university context.

A good command of English is required. KU Leuven provides courses in academic English.

The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of your employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch to the required level.

Offer

We offer full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. It is highly focused on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and strives for international excellence. The university actively works together with research partners in Belgium and abroad and provides its students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research. 

You will work in Leuven, a historic, dynamic and lively city located in the heart of Belgium, within 20 minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.

KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration & administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching; etc. 

Depending on your record and qualifications, you will be appointed to or tenured in one of the grades of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researchers are appointed as assistant professor on the tenure track for a period of 5 years. At the end of this period and a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed (or tenured) as associate professor.

Interested?

Add to your application the following documents (more information is available on the KU Leuven job site):

- your biosketch in which you indicate your added value as an academic for research, education and service to society of your past career and of your future activities (maximum 2 pages);

- a file on your five most important publications or realizations;

- an extensive cv including a full publication list;

- your research plan with focus on the development of your research line and research team in relation with the colleague-researchers of the entity of employment (maximum 5 pages);

- your vision on academic education and its organization (maximum 2 pages);

- your contribution to society by outreach and public communication on science and technology, internal representation in boards and councils and service activities directly in relation to your developed expertise (maximum 1 page);

- your vision on leadership (maximum 1 page).

You can apply for this job no later than October 28, 2021 via https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60022535

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at [email protected] .

KU Leuven is committed to creating a diverse environment and is therefore an equal opportunity employer. It explicitly encourages candidates from groups that are currently underrepresented at the university to submit their applications.

KU Leuven places great importance on research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon appointment.

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Wouter Joosen, tel.: +32 16 32 76 53, mail: [email protected] or Prof. dr. ir. Stefan Vandewalle, tel.: +32 16 32 76 54, mail: [email protected] .

For problems with online applying, please contact [email protected] .