Addressing critical security challenges and opportunities facing the international shipping industry, The University of Plymouth is creating its unique, world-first Cyber-SHIP Lab; (SHIP: Security, Hardware, Information, Protection).
This is your in-at-the-start opportunity to join a team that will make a significant contribution to levelling-up shipping’s cyber-threat resilience relative to more cyber aware sectors such as technology and banking. Your work will help to safeguard essential-to-our-way-of life supply chains and the international economy. It may even save lives.
You will be joining a £3-million project supported by Research England and in collaboration with a host of blue-chip shipping industry organisations, including international ship operators, leading equipment vendors, classification societies, and tier-one international insurers.
The project builds on our established, world-class shipping industry cyber-security research and training facilities, including cyber ranges and our state-of-the-art ship simulator. The Lab will integrate maritime systems, and systems-of-systems found on real-world, seagoing vessels’ bridges: older and state of the art ships, huge container vessels and tankers, bulk grain transporters, mega-cruise ships, ferries, super yachts, and naval vessels.
You will work with software aspects of cyber security in cutting-edge maritime technology, including radars, voyage data recorders (VDR), Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), and communications devices. You do not need prior and detailed knowledge in these areas, but you should be keen to learn enough about them to write software that uses data from these systems.
With your highly qualified and creative colleagues, you will identify security risks, develop solutions, and provide training for best practice and policy to enhance national and international security. You will establish human and technological changes needed to secure maritime industry systems for the future.
You will hold a PhD/equivalent international qualification or commensurate level of recognition/international profile in a relevant discipline (such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, Graphics Engineering) with either an emphasis on (1) Human Computer Interaction (HCI) (2) System Configuration and (3) Software tooling or with an emphasis on (1) penetration testing (pen testing), (2) artificial intelligence (AI), and/or machine learning (ML).
You will have a publication profile in a cognate discipline or equivalent record in industry. In addition, experience in presenting research findings at meetings or conferences is essential, along with demonstrable plans to develop further impact in cyber-risk research, within the maritime sector.
These are full-time positions working 37 hours per week on an initial fixed-term basis for 4 years due to funding, with the potential for extension based on project deliverables.
For more information, please contact Kevin Jones by emailing deanofscieng@plymouth.ac.uk or calling +441752584502
Please note, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the University is currently implementing a number of safety measures as per Government advice therefore the successful applicant may be required to work from home in the first instance.
Flexible working options including job share will be considered.
The University of Plymouth is committed to equality of opportunity, promoting a diverse and inclusive culture, demonstrated through our commitment to the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and as a Stonewall diversity champion. All applications will be judged solely on merit, however, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in the workforce, for example black and minority ethnic groups.
University of Plymouth holds a TEF (Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework) Silver by the Office for Students.
Job Description