Senior Researcher in Side-Channel Attack Analysis and Prevention

The IMDEA Software Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Software Development Technologies) is a non-profit research institute created under the umbrella of the Regional Government of Madrid, Spain. The goal of the Institute is to perform the research of excellence required to devise methods that enable the cost-effective development of software products with sophisticated functionality and high quality, i.e., secure, reliable, and efficient, and to drive technology transfer to the industrial sector. The Institute attracts talent from all over the world and has built a truly international environment. The working language at the IMDEA Software Institute is English.

The IMDEA Software Institute is located in the Montegancedo Science and Technology Park in the outskirts of the vibrant city of Madrid, Spain.

More information about the Institute can be found at: https://software.imdea.org.

Description

The IMDEA Software Institute is seeking a Senior Researcher to enrich the Institute’s research activities in Security and Cryptography, with a particular focus on side-channel attack analysis and prevention. All the qualifications of the candidate will be evaluated with respect to that research area.

Within the Institute’s research lines, the Security and Cryptography area focuses on the protection of systems, data, and computations through the exploration of two complementary aspects:

• Security: protecting computer systems against intentional attacks aimed at bypassing security barriers and gaining access to data or control systems that should not be reachable from outside an organization.
• Cryptography: developing schemes that allow encoding data and computations in such a way that the decoded information cannot be reasonably or effectively obtained, and that unauthorized manipulations can be easily detected.

The Institute seeks highly qualified candidates capable of contributing to and strengthening its existing research activities in Security and Cryptography in the area of analysis and prevention of side-channel attacks.

The candidate should have an outstanding track record of research, demonstrated ability and commitment to research, recognized international stature, and excellent leadership abilities. We expect candidates to have demonstrated ability to build an independent research group, attract funding, and collaborate with well-established international researchers. Selected candidates will need to have an evaluation performed by the hiring committee.

As part of their duties at the Institute, the selected candidate is expected to:

• Perform impactful research and publish it in top academic venues.
• Transfer research results to the industrial sector, with an emphasis on those based in Spain and the Region of Madrid.
• Attract funding through public grants and industrial contracts.
• Represent the Institute in national and international bodies as necessary and be active in program committees, steering committees, editorial boards, etc.
• Advise PhD, MSc, and BSc theses.
• Collaborate in service tasks and the management of the Institute.

Requirements

Candidates should meet the following requirements:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science or a closely related area.
• At least 5 years of research experience in positions at a level equivalent to Assistant Professor or higher.
• Demonstrated research experience in Security and Cryptography, particularly in side-channel attack analysis and prevention.
• Co-authorship of research publications in prestigious international venues (e.g., CCS, NDSS, SP, USENIX Security Symposium).
• Well-established international reputation, demonstrated by relevant roles in the organization of international top conferences, PC chairmanship, and membership of Steering Committees and Program Committees, as well as giving invited talks and seminars at international institutions and scientific events.
• Attraction of publicly-funded research grants and/or industrial contracts.
• Proven experience in building and managing a research group with multiple students and/or post-doctoral researchers.
• Experience in advising PhD, MSc, and BSc theses.
• At least two years of previous research experience in an international research center outside of Spain.
• Fluent in English.

The following are desirable qualifications:

• Experience coordinating multi-partner R&D funding projects and/or industrial R&D contracts will be a plus.
• Ability to meet strict deadlines and work under pressure.
• Capable team player.

Starting date

The position will start as soon as possible, once the selection process has been completed and all the necessary paperwork is ready.

How to apply?

Applicants interested in the position should submit their application at https://careers.software.imdea.org/. Please select the option: Other and include reference code 2026-06-other-senior-channel.

The application should include:

• A CV, written in English.
• A research statement (maximum 2 pages), written in English.

Applications should be received by June 25th, 2026.

The recruitment process will comply with the IMDEA Software Institute’s OTM-R Policy (Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment).