Postdoctoral Fellow in Federated Cyber Physical Ranges

About the job

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.

The postdoctoral fellow will work on research and development within the context of the EDF-funded Project “Federated Advanced Cyber Physical Test range (FACT)”. There are a number of cyber test ranges available (including in Europe) but the federated approach and advanced cyber physical test range capability are two elements of the FACT project which makes it disruptive and unique. The focus on Operational Technology (OT) is increasing when it comes to military systems, and the cyber physical aspect is thus of greatest importance for the FACT project. Military platforms are not easily transferable to a relevant location for test. However, the federated approach in the FACT project will allow the physical part to be implemented at more than one location, and still make use of the full capability of the partners capabilities during the testing. To ensure that the equipment is used and has a required level of protection, the FACT project will design, prototype and demonstrate a federated cyber physical test capability which can be maintained and become a sustained capability to the European nations after the project. Our approach is fully user-centric, with the end-user’s needs as the starting point for the whole capability and every consideration. Examples of test scenario setups where the federated aspect of FACT is an advantage are numerous: larger partners wanting to cooperate in larger system deliveries, smaller companies cooperating with several partners within their complimentary field of expertise, sharing vulnerabilities and mitigating actions on equipment across partners and nations for shortening time to market.

The position creates an opportunity for more collaboration with other research disciplines such as security management, safety engineering, and policymaking in addition to the focus areas mentioned above.

The position’s working place is NTNU campus in Gjøvik. You will report to the Head of the Department. 

Duties of the position

The postdoctoral research fellow will:

Contribute to research and development on:The definition of requirements and specifications for the development of the Federated Cyber Physical Range system.The design and development of the FACT building blocks.The integration of all FACT components into a single interoperable system.The finalisation and development of the unified cyber range infrastructure and the building of a community of users and experts in relation to this platform. Contribute to the development of the communication and dissemination strategy of the FACT project. Develop and pursue own research agenda in cyber physical systems risk management.  Contribute to the development of research and education in Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience by leading and supporting new research and innovation.  Work on initiating, organizing, writing proposals for, coordinating, and carrying out national and international R&I projects of high quality, to be funded by national and international sources e.g. the NFR (The Research Council of Norway), and the European Commission.  Coordinate and manage the working on R&I projects in critical infrastructure protection, cyber physical system risk management, and other areas of interest of the group. Participate as an active member in CISaR activities and in activities of the Department of Information Security and Communication Technology (IIK), including supervision and co-supervision of MSc and PhD students.

Required selection criteria

You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in information security, computer science, or equivalent, with focus on the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and/or cyber-physical systems. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position. Track record with publications on relevant research areas in credible journals and conferences. Being able to attend and present at national and international forums. Good written and oral English language skills. You must be a citizen of an EU or NATO member state"

The appointment is to be made in accordance with 

Preferred selection criteria

Extensive knowledge and solid understanding of cyber ranges. Experience in defining and verifying requirements and specifications for IT and OT systems. Experience in designing and developing IT and OT systems. Experience in the verification of distributed systems Experience in integrating and testing IT and OT systems.  Experience with developing and operating laboratory facilities for security testing. Experience with supervision of MSc students’ thesis work. Experience with participating in EU and/or nationally funded R&I projects related to cyber security for critical infrastructure and cyber-physical systems. Experience with having developed research project proposals for external funding bodies such as the European Commission, Research Council of Norway, etc.

Personal characteristics

Being able to travel frequently. Flexibility and willingness to work on a broad range of topics covered by the activities of the CISaR group. Initiative-taking and self-starter who works well with minimal supervision and shows excellent judgement about when to look to managers and teammates for guidance, and when and how to communicate with diverse stakeholders. Team player with a proven track record of building cross-functional relationships and ability to work in an international research team. Effective communication and negotiation skills, both written and verbal persuasiveness and strong influential skills.  Eager to learn with a high desire to perform and disseminate high-quality research.

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment  an open and with dedicated colleagues  favourable terms in the 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from NOK 594 500 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The period of employment is 3 years. 

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