Research Associate

Advert

Research Associate
School of Computer Science & Informatics
College of Physical Sciences and Engineering

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the School of Computer Science and Informatics. You will be joining Cardiff University, one of the UK’s leading research led universities, as a Research Associate for the Project titled “A Framework for Risk-Informed Metrics-Enriched Cybersecurity Playbooks for CNI Resilience”, which is funded by EPSRC.

The goal of this project is to improve CNI resilience in the UK by enabling timely and efficient incident response. To achieve this, this project will deliver a Framework for creating Risk-Informed Metrics-enriched Playbooks for Critical National Infrastructure.
The project has three key objectives:

Create an empirically-grounded tool-supported actionable framework for developing bespoke risk-informed metrics-enriched cybersecurity playbooks tailored to the challenges of enhancing resilience in CNI by adopting and modelling incident response best practices in a format of integrated playbooks.

Design, implement and test software tools supporting the aspects of the framework related to process modelling, risk assessment and response strategy optimisation, and to integrate them into a comprehensive CNI Playbook Design Toolset. The project will deliver the full technology stack required to develop optimal risk-informed and metric-driven playbooks. Tool-support will increase the intention to use and facilitate faster adoption of the framework in practice.

Evaluate the framework using existing testbeds at the participating universities and industry partners, and via focus groups and workshops with industry partners and individual domain experts with a broad range of backgrounds and in varying roles from network engineers to ICS operators to Board members to policy makers. It is essential to conduct extensive evaluation with practitioners to ensure that the framework and tools are effective, accessible and fulfil the intended purposes for each group of stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be part of a multi-disciplinary team working on developing a framework for Cybersecurity Playbooks. The role requires strong technical and programming skills and good understanding of cyber-physical systems. At the same time, a successful candidate should recognise the importance of human factor and non-technical aspect of cybersecurity and their role within cybersecurity on CNI.

You will proactively engage with stakeholders at different levels for the duration of the project, organising and running workshops and focus groups. You will work closely with the Cardiff Centre for Cyber Security Research (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/centre-for-cyber-security-research) and with the Bristol Cyber Security Group at the University of Bristol (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/research/cyber-security/ ). This post will provide you with an opportunity to develop your research career, establish collaboration with national and international academic and industry partners, and publish research outputs in high-quality journals and conferences.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), available from 1 January 2022 and fixed term until 31 December 2023.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Dr Yulia Cherdantseva, Lecturer in Cyber Security at the School of Computer Science & Informatics, Cardiff University: [email protected] .

Informal enquiries in relation to the recruitment / application process can be sent to Zoe Reynolds, HR Administrator - [email protected] .

Research jobs:
Cardiff University has a successful School of Computer Science & Informatics with an international reputation for its teaching and research activities. We are a research-led School with a longstanding, international reputation for applied research activities, and collaborate with more than 100 UK and international academic and industrial partners. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 99% of our submitted research was rated at least of international standard with 79% classed as "internationally excellent" or "world leading". The School delivers a stimulating portfolio of BSc and MSc degrees and offers research degrees leading to MPhil and PhD qualifications. For more information on the School please visit our website:  http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/computer-science

Salary: £34,304 - £40,927 per annum (Grade 6)

Date advert posted: Thursday, 29 July 2021

Closing date: Monday, 30 August 2021 

DUE TO SUFFICIENT APPLICATIONS BEING RECEIVED THIS VACANCY WILL NOW CLOSE EARLY AT MIDNIGHT ON MODAY, 30 AUGUST 2021.

This post has previously been advertised to employees of Cardiff University only.  We now invite external applications.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting all its employees in achieving the necessary balance between their work and their personal lives. As part of this commitment, the University has developed a flexible and responsive framework of support for staff in managing their work and personal commitments wherever possible. [Applications for posts on a part-time or job-share arrangement would also be considered].

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements

“Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/our-research-environment/integrity-and-ethics/responsible-research-assessment”

Job Description

Main function

To conduct research within cyber security of cyber-physical systems in the context of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and contribute to the overall research performance of the School and University, carrying out research leading to the publishing of high-quality research. To pursue excellence in research and to inspire others to do the same.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Research

• To conduct research within cyber security of cyber-physical systems in the context of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and contribute to the overall research performance of the School and University by the production of measurable outputs including bidding for funding, publishing in national academic journals and conferences, and the recruitment and supervision of postgraduate research students. 
• To develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research including research funding proposals.
• To attend and or present at conferences/seminars at a local and national level as required
• To undertake administrative tasks associated with the research project, including the planning and organisation of the project and the implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• To prepare research ethics and research governance applications as appropriate
• To review and synthesise existing research literature within the field
• To participate in School research activities.
• To build and create networks both internally and externally to the university, to influence decisions,   explore future research requirements, and share research ideas for the benefit of research projects.

Other

• To engage effectively with industrial, commercial and public sector organisations, professional institutions, other academic institutions etc., regionally and nationally  to raise awareness of the School’s profile, to cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to the School and the enhancement of its regional and national profile.
• To undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance.
• To participate in School administration and activities to promote the School and its work to the wider University and the outside world.
• Modelling high-impact and high-frequency cybersecurity incidents in CNI.
• Extending BPMN metamodel and syntax to increase visual efficiency of playbooks.
• Develop a modelling tool to support playbooks design (an extension for jBPM).
• Creating a process for automatically deriving a dependency model (DM) for playbooks.
• Developing a tool supporting DM, based on open-source graph database Neo4j.
• Integrating risk assessment data from risk analysis based on DM into playbooks.
• Engaging with stakeholders to support the tasks listed above.
• Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

Postgraduate degree at PhD level (or nearing completion / submission) in a related subject area or relevant industrial experience

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

An established expertise and proven portfolio of research and/or relevant industrial experience within the following research fields:

• Cyber security of cyber-physical systems and CNI
• Cyber security incident response

Knowledge of current status of research in specialist field

Proven ability to publish in national/international journals and conferences and other research outputs

Knowledge and understanding of competitive research funding to be able to develop applications to funding bodies

Programming experience

Communication and Team Working

Proven ability in effective and persuasive communication

Ability to supervise the work of others to focus team efforts and motivate individuals

Other

Proven ability to demonstrate creativity, innovation and team-working within work

Proven ability to work without close supervision

Desirable Criteria

Understanding of risk assessment and management

Knowledge of business process modelling (BPMN)

Knowledge of graph database systems (e.g. Neo4J)

Experience in/with (preferably) Java, Spring Boot, jBPM, Eclipse

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria

Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement.

Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to your application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance for this post, 11942BR.

If candidates do not provide written evidence of meeting all of the essential criteria then their application will not be progressed. The School welcomes the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Job Category

Academic - Research