Maria Mushtaq

Télécom Paris, a leading French engineering school and founding member of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, is recruiting a post-doctoral fellow for a 12-month contract in the field of AI for Microarchitectural Security. The position is based in the COMELEC department and centers on developing advanced reinforcement learning (RL) methodologies, with a particular focus on hierarchical RL, to assess vulnerabilities in modern System-on-Chips (SoCs). This research is driven by the growing threat of timing-based side channel attacks (TSCAs), such as Spectre and Meltdown, which exploit the complex features of contemporary SoCs. Traditional verification techniques, including formal methods, are increasingly inadequate for these threats, making vulnerability assessment a critical step in the product lifecycle. The postdoc will build upon an existing RL framework, enhancing it with advanced methodologies and using the gem5 simulator as the primary execution backend. The research will also explore RTL simulation and physical RISC-V boards as complementary environments, aiming to develop architecture-generic solutions that extend beyond RISC-V to other processor architectures. Responsibilities include conducting research in AI for microarchitecture assessment, supervising and tutoring students, and contributing to the reputation of Télécom Paris and its partner institutions. The position offers a dynamic and accessible work environment near Paris, with benefits such as 49 days of annual leave, flexible working hours, telecommuting options, and a 75% public transport pass reimbursement. Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent in computer science or a related field, possess strong programming skills in Python, C, and C++, and have experience in model design and evaluation. Knowledge of microarchitectures and microarchitecture security is advantageous, and professional-level English is required. The application deadline is November 29, 2025. Applications should be submitted online through the Institut Mines-Télécom recruitment portal. For more information, candidates may contact the scientific or administrative contact persons listed in the announcement. The institution is committed to diversity and inclusion, and all positions are open to individuals with disabilities.