The ISG is recruiting a senior lecturer/reader (≡ associate professor in the US system). This is a full-time, permanent research and teaching position.
Look, I know this is post-Brexit England but let me give you a personal pitch of why you should apply:
- It’s a big group. We got ~20 permanent members of staff working across the field of information security: cryptography, systems and social. Check out our seminar programme and our publications to get a sense of what is going on in the group.
- It’s a group with a good mix of areas and lots of interaction. UK universities don’t work like German ones where professors have their little empires which don’t interact all too much. Rather, the hierarchies are pretty flat within a department (everybody is line managed by the Head of Department) which facilitates more interaction; at least within the ISG that’s true. For example, I’m currently working on a project with someone from the systems and software security lab and one of our social scientists. I doubt this sort of collaboration would have come about if we didn’t attend the same meetings, taught the same modules, went to lunch and the pub together etc. Interdisciplinarity from above is annoying, when it emerges spontaneously it can be great.
- It’s a nice group. People are genuinely friendly and we help each other out. It will be easy to find someone to proof read your grant applications or share previously successfully funded ones etc. I don’t know any official numbers but the unionisation level seems to be relatively high, which I also take as an indication that people don’t adopt a “everyone for themselves” approach.
- We got funding for our Centre for Doctoral Training for the next few years (then we have to reapply). This means 10 PhD positions per year. Also, our CDT attracts strong students. My research career really took off after getting a chance to work with our amazing students.
- The ISG is its own department (in a school with Physics, EE, Mathematics and Computer Science). All of our teaching is on information security with a focus on our Information Security MSc (which is huge). So you’ll get to teach information security.
- The ISG has strong industry links. Thus, if that’s your cup of tea, it will be easy to get introductions etc. A side effect of these strong links is that consulting opportunities tend to pop up. Consulting is not only permitted by the employer but encouraged (they take a cut if you do it through them).
- The ISG is a large group but Royal Holloway is a relatively small university. That means getting things done by speaking to the person in charge is often possible, i.e. it’s not some massive bureaucracy and exceptions can be negotiated.
- It’s within one standard deviation from London. This means UCL and Surrey, and thus the researchers there, aren’t too far away. Also, you get to live in London (or near Egham if that’s your thing, no judgement).
We’d appreciate any help in spreading the word. Happy to answer any questions I can answer.
The ad says “senior lecturer” but, speaking for myself, I’d recommend to apply even if you’re going for the lecturer/assistant professor/Juniorprofessor stage in your career. Also, I’d encourage people from all areas of information security to apply.
Continue reading “Reader/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in the ISG”