Post-Doctoral Research Associate: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - UTK

Responsibilities

Lead and participate in research projects in one or more of the following areas: trustworthy AI; security and privacy of cyber-physical and IoT systems; side-channel attacks and defenses on AI workloads; or physical-layer attacks against AI-enabled sensing and recognition.

Co-advise and mentor graduate and undergraduate student researchers on related projects.

Co-author publications at top venues (e.g., CCS, NDSS, USENIX Security, IEEE S&P).

Contribute to proposal development for federal funding agencies (e.g., NSF, DARPA, ARO, DoE).

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications:
  • Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field (completed by start date).
  • Experience: Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publications in security, machine learning, or cyber-physical systems.
  • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Strong programming skills (Python and/or C/C++) and experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch or TensorFlow); excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Education: Ph.D. with a dissertation focus in security, machine learning, cyber-physical systems, or a closely related area.
  • Experience: First-author publications at top-tier security venues (e.g., CCS, NDSS, USENIX Security, IEEE S&P); experience mentoring graduate or undergraduate researchers; service to the research community (paper reviewing, workshop organization).
  • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Expertise in one or more of: adversarial ML, side/covert channels, sensor-driven attacks, IoT/CPS security; background spanning both systems-level (embedded systems, signal processing, wireless/communications) and AI/ML research is a plus.

About the Role

The position is for one year in the first instance, with the possibility of extension contingent on performance and funding.

The successful candidate will lead and contribute to research projects at the intersection of trustworthy AI, security and privacy of cyber-physical and IoT systems, and physical-layer adversarial attacks against AI-enabled sensing and recognition systems.

The position offers significant autonomy in shaping research directions, opportunities to co-author publications at top venues (CCS, NDSS, USENIX Security, IEEE S&P), mentor graduate/undergraduate students, and participate in proposal development for federal funding agencies (NSF, DARPA, ARO, DoE).

Work Location

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Compensation and Benefits

Anticipated hiring range: Competitive, commensurate with experience.

UTK provides comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid time off.

About the Department

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is an R1 research university located in Knoxville, Tennessee, with strong collaborative ties to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) — one of the largest U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories — offering unique opportunities for joint research in AI security, cyber-physical systems, and high-performance computing.

The Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science houses internationally recognized faculty and research programs spanning AI/ML, security, embedded and cyber-physical systems, computer architecture, and data science.

Knoxville offers a low cost of living and quick access to the Great Smoky Mountains and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

About Us

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools.

As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state.

The Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is part of the Min H. Kao Institute for Biomedical Engineering, which is dedicated to advancing biomedical engineering research and education.

The department is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all members of the academic community.