Postdoctoral Research Associate in Verification

We are seeking to recruit a motivated and research-focused research associate to carry out research in Verification and Game Theory, as part of the EPSRC project Games for Good with Patrick Totzke, Sven Schewe and Qiyi Tang.

You will enjoy developing algorithms, lower bounds, and possibly proof-of-concept implementations related to computer-aided formal verification. The position includes collaboration with our academic partners and research visits across Europe.

The project aims to better understand the notion of good-for-games (GfG) and related restricted forms of non-determinism, especially for computational models with infinite state spaces. We will investigate new ways to restrict non-determinism that maintain high expressiveness while simultaneously allowing for efficient verification procedures. In particular, we plan to study stochastic variants of history-determinism, such as automata that are good-for-Markov chains / Markov Decision Processes, as well as stochastic resolvers and their memory requirements.  As above, you will work together in collaboration with our partners to share research outputs and deliver results.

You should have, or be about to obtain, a PhD in Verification, Theoretical Computer Science, Mathematics, or a closely related field together with an excellent track record of international publications. Examples of fields of interests are:   – Automata and Game Theory,   – Infinite-state models (e.g. Counter, Pushdown, and Timed automata),   – Model checking tools and algorithms,   – Logics and verification techniques,   – Stochastic Games

You will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be able to organise your own work with minimal supervision, and also prioritise work to meet deadlines. Most importantly, you have fun toying around with formal structures and pushing algorithmic ideas to their limit with us.

This post is available from 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2026.

Any applicants who are still awaiting their PhD to be awarded should be aware that if successful, they will be appointed at grade 6, spine point 30.  Upon written confirmation that they have been successful in being awarded their PhD, they will be moved onto grade 7, spine point 31 from the date of their award.

The University has the right to close the vacancy early if it is deemed that there have been enough applications received