King's College London

About us

The Department of Informatics is looking to appoint a Research Associate to work in the area of cryptography.

The Department of Informatics is a cutting-edge place to study and research the field of computer science and the technologies that are transforming our lives today and tomorrow. We aim to consider fundamental scientific questions as well as respond to key societal challenges and opportunities in an increasingly complex digital world.

About the role

The candidate will work alongside Prof. Martin Albrecht, Dr. Benjamin Dowling, Dr. Rikke Bjerg Jensen (Royal Holloway University of London) and Dr. Andrea Medrado (Exeter) on establishing social foundations of cryptography in protest settings. In particular, the candidate will work with a multi-disciplinary team of cryptographers (Dowling, Albrecht) and ethnographers (Jensen, Medrado) to understand the security needs of participants in protests, to formalise these needs as cryptographic security notions and to design or analyse cryptographic solutions with respect to these notions.

This position is part of the EPSRC-funded project “Social Foundations of Cryptography” and more information is available at https://social-foundations-of-cryptography.gitlab.io/.

In brief, ethnography is a social science method involving prolonged fieldwork, i.e. staying with the group under study, to observe not only what they say but also what their social reality and practice is. In this project, we are putting cryptography at the mercy of ethnographic findings, allowing them to shape what we model.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to reach out to Prof. Martin Albrecht to discuss the research project and their potential role in it before sending an application.

Applicants should have already completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in a relevant discipline. Applicants should have an outstanding research track record in cryptography. Applicants should be able to demonstrate scientific creativity, research independence, and the ability to communicate their ideas effectively in written and verbal form.

This is a full time post , and you will be offered an  a fixed term contract until the 25th October 2026.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1.      PhD in cryptography

2.      Publication track record in top cryptographic venues

3.      Effective communication: written and verbal

Desirable criteria

1.      Ability to work independently

2.      Willingness and ability to collaborate

3.      Creativity and originality in research

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

Please ensure the following questions are covered in your personal statement.

1. Please explain how you see your research fitting into the project “Social Foundations of Cryptography”  

2. Please illustrate your ability to communicate clearly in written and verbal form. 

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.