PhD student (m/f/x)

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) has a vacancy in the Computer Security research group for a talented PhD student (m/f/x) on the subject of formal methods and design automation for cryptography and hardware security

Job description

Cryptographic protocols and secure hardware are increasingly deployed in settings where mistakes are costly and hard to detect, yet designing, optimizing, and verifying them still relies heavily on manual expert effort. In this PhD project, you will develop formal methods and design automation techniques for cryptography and hardware security, making secure systems both more efficient and more trustworthy. The position is part of the NWO Gravitation program Challenges in Cyber Security (CiCS), which brings together leading security research groups across the Netherlands.

Possible research directions include (but are not limited to):

• Logic synthesis for secure computation. Paradigms such as multi-party computation (MPC) and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) have cost models very different from conventional hardware. You will develop new cost metrics for specific paradigms and platforms, together with synthesis methods that optimize circuits toward them.
• Computer-aided cryptography and hardware security. Security arguments for cryptographic protocols and their hardware implementations are still largely constructed and checked by hand. You will explore how formal methods and automated reasoning tools can support the design, analysis, and verification of cryptographic constructions, as well as hardware security properties such as resistance to side-channel leakage.
• Privacy-preserving formal verification. In many settings, a party needs to convince others that a hardware or software design meets its specification without disclosing the design itself. You will study how verification techniques can be combined with cryptographic tools such as zero-knowledge proofs to establish correctness and security properties of confidential designs.

The exact focus will be shaped together with you, based on your interests and background. Examples of our recent related work include “Proving Circuit Functional Equivalence in Zero Knowledge” (ACM CCS 2026) and “Think Locally Before Computing Jointly: Efficient Secure Multi-Party Computation via Maximizing Local Processing” (IACR TCHES 2027).

As a PhD student on this project, you will:

• develop the theoretical foundations of new methods, such as formal models, algorithms, and security proofs;
• implement prototype tools and evaluate them on realistic benchmarks;
• collaborate with researchers in the CiCS consortium and with international partners;
• present your results at international conferences and publish them in leading venues.

You will be part of the Computer Security group at CWI, headed by Prof. Marten van Dijk, and supervised by Dr. Chenglu Jin.

Requirements

• Candidates are required to have a Master’s degree in computer science, mathematics, computer engineering or a related discipline.
• A strong theoretical foundation (e.g., in logic, discrete mathematics, cryptography, or formal methods) and well-developed analytical skills.
• Programming skills, e.g., in Python and/or C++, and willingness to build research prototypes.
• Knowledge of formal methods (e.g., model checking, SAT/SMT, theorem proving), logic synthesis, secure computation (MPC, FHE, zero-knowledge proofs), or hardware security (including side-channel analysis) is an advantage.
• Preferable qualifications for candidates include proven research talent, an excellent command of English, and good academic writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to work in an international, interdisciplinary team, and interest in collaborating with partners in the CiCS consortium and abroad.

Terms and conditions

The terms of employment are in accordance with the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres ("CAO-onderzoeksinstellingen"). The initial labour agreement will be for a period of 18 months. After a positive evaluation, the agreement will be extended by 30 months. The gross monthly salary, for a PhD student on a full time basis, is € 3,115 during the first year and increases to €3,989 over the four year period. Employees are also entitled to a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. CWI offers attractive working conditions, including flexible scheduling and help with housing for expat employees.

Please visit the CWI website for more information about our terms of employment’, or go to the working pages of the NWO website

Information and application

All applications should include a detailed resume, motivation letter, list of your MSc courses and grades, copy of your Master’s thesis and preferably a list of publications. The deadline for applications is 31 December 2026. Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The starting date is flexible. Promising candidates will be contacted by email.

For more information about the vacancy, please contact Chenglu Jin, email chenglu.jin@cwi.nl.

For more information about CWI, please visit cwi.nl or watch our video about working at CWI.

Diversity code

CWI strives to be a diverse and inclusive research institute. To achieve balanced representation in positions, we have been investing in a diverse and inclusive organization already since 2010, among others by prioritizing applications from women researchers. This approach has recently led to hiring a majority of women in Tenure Track positions.

CWI encourages a diverse workforce: we endeavour to develop talent and creativity by bringing people from different backgrounds and cultures together. We strongly encourage candidates with the appropriate qualifications to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, origin, sexual orientation or physical abilities.

About CWI

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the Dutch national research institute for mathematics and computer science and is part of the Institutes Organisation of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The mission of CWI is to conduct pioneering research in mathematics and computer science, generating new knowledge in these fields and conveying it to trade, industry, and society at large.

CWI is an internationally oriented institute, with 160 scientists from approximately 27 countries, an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We have an activity committee that organizes after-work activities and among others a women’s network.

CWI is located at Science Park Amsterdam, which is a major location of research in the physical sciences in The Netherlands, housing the sciences of the University of Amsterdam as well as several other national research institutes next to CWI.

About Research group

The Computer Security group studies how to secure computational environments in the presence of strong adversaries, combining rigorous cryptographic-style thinking with security engineering. Its research spans secure computation, hardware security, secure processor architectures, and formal reasoning about security guarantees. To find more information about the group, please visit the group page.

Computer security

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