Postdoctoral Researcher in Quantum-Secure Federated GenAI University of Turku in Finland

The Faculty of Technology at the University of Turku invites applications for a 2-year postdoctoral researcher position in Quantum-Secure Federated GenAI within the Department of Computing. The appointment begins by mutual agreement during 2026 and is part of a high-impact Horizon Europe project focused on building autonomous, trustworthy, and resilient cyber defense across federated infrastructures.

The project addresses major weaknesses in contemporary AI-driven cybersecurity, especially centralized architectures that lack transparency, explainability, and protection against quantum threats. The research agenda combines generative AI, federated learning, post-quantum cryptography, and verifiable SecureMLOps to create a quantum-resilient defense framework for regulated and cross-border environments. Key themes include lattice-based cryptography such as Kyber and Dilithium, differential privacy, self-healing detection, policy-bounded reinforcement learning, and compliance-as-code across cloud, edge, and OT settings.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of highly efficient and secure GenAI, work closely with European university partners and industrial collaborators, and participate in project implementation and reporting. The role also includes academic service through supervision of PhD, MSc, and bachelor students, along with some teaching support. The position offers training opportunities in proposal writing, scientific publishing, project development, and collaborative international research.

The Department of Computing is part of the University of Turku’s Faculty of Technology, a multidisciplinary and international research environment with strengths in digitalisation, machine learning, autonomous and intelligent systems, cybersecurity, and health technology. The project includes work in the Adversarial Defence & Validation Lab and uses digital twin technology to stress-test AI against adversarial attacks such as evasion, poisoning, and data leakage.

Applicants should have a PhD in Computer Science or a related field, strong expertise in machine learning and cybersecurity, a strong publication record, excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and very good English communication skills. In exceptional cases, candidates close to completing the PhD may be considered for a project researcher role. The postdoctoral salary is typically €3,700–€4,600/month depending on experience and qualifications; the alternative project researcher salary is about €3,100–€3,400/month. A six-month trial period applies.

The application deadline is 17 September 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Helsinki. Applications must be submitted through the university’s online recruitment system and should include a motivation letter, CV, publication list, degree certificates, and other relevant supporting documents. For position-specific inquiries, contact Associate Professor Kaitai Liang at [email protected]; for application process questions, contact HR Specialist Nina Reini at [email protected].