Research Fellow in Verified Operating System Security
University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Engineering
Australia

RESEARCH FELLOW IN VERIFIED OPERATING SYSTEM SECURITY

Job no: 0048861

Work type: Fixed Term

Location: Parkville

Division/Faculty: Melbourne School of Engineering

Department/School: School of Computing and Information Systems

Salary: $72,083 - $97,812 (Level A)

Role & Superannuation rate: Academic - Full time - 9.5% super

• Join this world-leading, multi-partner research team
• Collaborate across this world-leading research group – UMelb; UNSW & Data61
• Two (2) year Fixed Term Contract

About University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked among the leading universities in the world, at number 1 in Australia and number 32 in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2017-2018).  We are globally engaged, comprehensive, research-intensive and committed to responding to the major challenges of our time.

About Melbourne School of Engineering (MSE)

Working at MSE is exciting and fast moving. We are working hard to transform engineering and IT research and teaching, guided by MSE 2025, our ten-year strategic plan. With an expected investment of $1 billion in people and infrastructure, we are creating the entrepreneurial leaders and technology of the future.

About the School Computing and Information Systems

The School of Computing & Information Systems (CIS) undertakes research and teaching across a range of information technology disciplines including Software Engineering, Information Systems, and Computer Science. It offers a comprehensive range of IT courses at all levels, including offerings in science, engineering, and business, and is at the forefront of computing research in Australia and internationally with close links to major computing research initiatives, including Melbourne Bioinformatics, IBM Research and DATA61 (formerly NICTA).

About this Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated researcher with a research background in formal methods and security.  You will contribute to the development of methods for reasoning about timing channels in verified operating system kernels, applied to the seL4 kernel.

Your work will also investigate how to extend seL4’s existing proofs of information flow security, which primarily cover storage channels, to also encompass timing channels.

Further details about the research project are summarised in the following position paper:

Gernot Heiser, Gerwin Klein and Toby Murray. “Can We Prove Time Protection?” in Proceedings of the Workshop on Hot Topics in Operating Systems (HotOS), pages 23-29, May 2019. https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.08338

You will work with a close-knit team here at University of Melbourne, led by Dr Toby Murray; and collaborate heavily with UNSW and Data61’s Trustworthy Systems group, in Sydney.

You will work with Dr Murray and PhD students on research, publication and report writing, and will have the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students related to the project.

Additionally, this exciting career opportunity will support you, independently and as a member of the team, to work across all four pillars of an academic career and you will have the opportunity to:

• pursue internationally leading research
• deliver teaching and teaching innovation
• engage with industry and other partner institutions
• take on leadership roles within the University

About You:

You will be able to demonstrate:

• PhD in Computer Science or a relevant discipline
• Experience in one or more of the following areas:Record of quality research as evidenced by research publications in leading conferences and journals, commensurate with opportunity
  • program verification (e.g. Hoare logic)
  • information flow security (e.g. non-interference)
  • interactive theorem provers (e.g. Isabelle, Coq, etc.)
• Ability to perform independent research and a commitment to interdisciplinary research
• Capacity to communicate research concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, demonstrated by presentation of research results at conferences, internal forums and through manuscript submissions
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to interact with internal and external stakeholders (academic, administrative support staff), in a courteous and effective manner.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Demonstrated capacity to develop expertise in research to undertake tasks with autonomy
• Excellent ability in analytical thinking, problem solving, maintaining accurate research records and developing new ideas
• Understanding of timing and side-channel attacks and principles (desirable not necessary)
• Experience in supervision of undergraduate and graduate students (desirable not necessary)

What we offer you

We offer flexibility, whatever that may mean for you.  Many of our benefit programs and onsite amenities are aimed at supporting you - including generous leave, child care subsidies, discounted parking, medical and health care.  We offer extensive opportunities for personal and professional development and we’ll support you in doing what you love.

If you’re curious, motivated and ready to undertake a challenging and rewarding role we’re ready to meet you.

How to Apply

Apply online, complete the application and upload your Cover Letter and Resume. There is no requirement to complete Selection Criteria for the role.

While we review your application, get to know us by visiting http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/about/join-mse/why-join-mse

Position Description

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