Funded PhD position in Program Analysis or Systems

Applications are invited for a PhD position in the Software Reliability Group, under the direction of Dr. Cristian Cadar.

We are looking for motivated applicants interested in pursuing a PhD degree in program analysis and/or software systems, with an emphasis on building novel techniques for software testing and analysis.

The research will be part of the ERC Consolidator Grant Project PASS: Program Analysis for Safe and Secure Software Evolution, and will focus on helping software systems evolve safely and securely. PASS aims to take a holistic approach to the challenges of safe and secure software evolution, by combining offline program analysis to verify or comprehensively test software changes, with runtime mechanisms for keeping the software updated and secure against potentially erroneous changes that make it into the deployed system.

To apply, you will need to have a strong computer science background, experience in building and working with large software systems and tools, and proven knowledge in either program analysis, verification, or systems. Publications in one of these areas are a plus.

You should familiarise yourself with the research of the Software Reliability Group (see our projects and publications) particularly the KATCH, Chopper and CSmithEdge projects on the program analysis side, and the Varan and Mvedsua projects on the systems side.

You must have a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in an area pertinent to the subject area. You must have excellent communication skills and be able to organise your own work with minimal supervision and prioritise work to meet deadlines.

The Department of Computing at Imperial College London is a leading department of Computer Science among UK Universities. The department has achieved top results in each of the research assessment exercises undertaken by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. There are over fifty academic staff members actively involved in research, creating a lively and stimulating atmosphere. The department is located in central London, next to Hyde Park and the museums of South Kensington.

This is a fully funded position (tuition fees and a competitive PhD salary), open for both UK, EU and overseas students. Completing the PhD degree is expected to take between 3 and 4 years, with the position initially covering the first 3 years.

For informal inquiries about this position please contact Dr. Cristian Cadar.

How to apply

Applications must include the following:

  • An online college application form available at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/. Please select “Job Search”, then enter Program Analysis or Systems into the main search box. Please complete and upload an application form as directed.

  • A curriculum vitae of up to two pages.

  • A two-page research statement which should indicate what you see are interesting research issues relating to the above post and why your expertise is relevant.

  • Transcripts of all degree results.

  • The names and contact information of two or three referees who can provide letters of recommendation.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited for an interview and asked to solve a practical task. You will also be asked to fill out a PhD application, and any offer would be conditional on being admitted into our PhD programme at Imperial College London.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Two Ticks Employer, and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.