Doctoral Researcher

The Department of Computing at the Faculty of Technology invites applications for a full-time Doctoral Researcher position. This role focuses on Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning & Trustworthy AI. The fixed-term position starts based on mutual agreement, and ends on 31.8.2029, which is the estimated end date of the project. The project end date may change, in which case the position ends accordingly. Job description As AI becomes integral to cybersecurity, meeting the transparency requirements of the EU AI Act and the privacy mandates of the GDPR is critical. This Doctoral researcher position, integrated into a high-impact Horizon Europe research project, focuses on building a decentralized, privacy-preserving, and explainable AI infrastructure to ensure the "trustworthiness" of AI ecosystem. Responsibilities Design and develop a self-learning Bi-Level FL framework that ensures global coherence while allowing local adaptability. You will integrate Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) such as Differential Privacy (DP) and secure aggregation. Implement selective unlearning mechanisms within the federated framework to eradicate outdated or biased knowledge, ensuring strict regulatory compliance. Develop a self-improving Bias & Explainability (XAI) agent that generates human-readable justifications (decision cards, audit logs) for cybersecurity decisions and links them to system provenance. Contribute to model-level adaptive access control, utilizing cryptographic fingerprinting and Proof of Learning to guarantee the integrity of the AI model lifecycle. Who we are looking for Requirements MSc degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Cybersecurity. A solid background in cybersecurity, or machine learning, LLMs. Familiarity with distributed computing, applied cryptography or XAI. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken, e.g., with a valid International English certificate, IELTS or TOEFL). Programming skills (e.g., Python, C++, Rust). Interest in collaborative research with both academia and industry. Qualification requirements The eligibility criteria for prospective applicants are defined in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: [link]. A person selected for the post of Doctoral Researcher is required to have a right to pursue a doctoral degree at University of Turku. In addition, when acquiring their degree or otherwise, they are required to have demonstrated the ability to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan. Please note that before obtaining the study right for a Doctoral Program, the job title will be Project Researcher, and the employment contract will be made until 31.3.2027. The candidate is expected to apply for the study right in the next available Autumn 2026 call to e.g. the Doctoral Programme in Technology. Thus, please check the student information and application criteria Doctoral Programme in Technology - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants | University of Turku (please pay attention to the mandatory skill level in English). Read more about the University of Turku's doctoral programmes and how to apply for study rights Join us for your doctoral studies at the University of Turku! In exceptional cases, we may also consider applicants who have completed nearly all the studies required for a master's degree in a relevant field. In such cases, the job title at the start of the employment will be Research Assistant and the starting salary (OV1) is on average 2400 euros/month, depending on competence and experience. We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.