Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Information Security

Department of Information Security
Location: Egham
Salary: £43,866 per annum - including London Allowance
Post Type: Full Time
Closing Date: 23.59 hours GMT on Thursday 15 February 2024
Reference: 1223-543

Full-Time, Fixed Term

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to work with us on the research project: Social Foundations of Cryptography . The project is funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and aims to ground cryptographic security notions in findings from ethnography, through research with and within protest and activist settings. 

The researcher will conduct up to six months of ethnographic fieldwork with protesters and/or activists in two different non-European countries, exploring the security practices and needs of participants in protests. The fieldwork will consist of, for example, daily participant observation, drawing up field notes and maps as well as involving participants through multiple modes of engagement depending on the specific context. The research will further involve both independent and collaborative post-fieldwork analysis. 

In addition to conducting and completing ethnographic research in potentially, at times, higher-risk settings, the postdoc is expected to:

• Be an active collaborative partner in the research project as a whole
• Contribute to research outputs in the form of publications in respectable, top-tier scientific outlets, e.g. cryptography, information security, HCI and/or interdisciplinary social science venues
• Initiate and co-organise activities related to the research project 
• Co-organise, participate in and present at conferences, workshops and seminars, as well as other relevant activities
• Collaborate with the project's academic advisory board and project partner
• Contribute to the popular dissemination of research findings

The position is full time and expected to begin on 1 April 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter, and will last for 24 months. The researcher will work in close collaboration with the project team, which comprises ethnographers Rikke Bjerg Jensen  (Royal Holloway) and Andrea Medrado  (Westminster), as well as cryptographers Ben Dowling  (Sheffield) and Martin Albrecht  (King's College London).

Required qualifications and skills

Applicants must have completed a PhD (or be close to completion) in anthropology, sociology, STS, media studies or a related discipline within the social sciences. Applicants must further be able to document:

It is an advantage if applicants can document prior experience of working within settings that might be considered higher-risk in safety and security terms, and/or prior experience of working with marginalised groups. 

As part of the application, applicants are asked to describe how their previous research experiences are of relevance to the position (max. 1 page). Applicants also need to submit an up-to-date CV (max. 2 pages), a brief cover letter, a brief statement on the applicant's PhD project (max. 1 page) as well as any recent publications (max. 2).

The application must be submitted in English.

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement 
• Training and Development opportunities
• Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution 
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing. 
• Free parking 

The post is based in Egham, Surrey where the University is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London. However, the post-holder will also be expected to spend time in the Department of Informatics, King’s College London, while most project meetings will take place at Royal Holloway’s Bedford Square campus in central London.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Rikke Bjerg Jensen [email protected] .

For queries on the application process the Human Resources Department can be contacted by email at: [email protected]  

Please quote the reference: 1223-543

Closing Date: 23:59, 15 February 2024  

Interview Date: TBC

Further details: Job Description & Person Specification