Postdoctoral Position in Cyber Attack Simulation for Autonomous Penetration Testing

Organisation/Company

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Research Field

Computer science » Other

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Application Deadline

28 Apr 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Sweden

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Job description

This project focuses on modelling, simulation, and decision support for AI-based penetration testing. A central premise is that AI penetration testers require decision support in the form of structured models of the environment being tested, in order to effectively analyse and prioritise attack paths. The research includes the development of structured models to represent attacks and their properties, including measures of attack quality such as time required, risk of detection, resource requirements, and consequences. These models are used to enable systematic comparisons between alternative strategies in simulated environments. The project also studies simulation agents operating within these models, including both policy-based methods and AI-based approaches. The work builds on and further develops the Meta Attack Language (MAL) , with a particular focus on developing domain-specific models that reflect the concrete actions of penetration testers and enable more operationally relevant decision support.

The overall aim of the project is to help autonomous penetration testing agents become more effective and more responsible.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Good collaborative skills.
• The ability to work independently.
• Strong expertise in the subject area of the project.
• Scientific proficiency.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline.
• Strong teaching abilities.
• Awareness of diversity and equal opportunity issues, with a particular focus on gender equality.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Join us at KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in advancing the transition towards a sustainable society. At KTH, you have the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic environment, with good working conditions and attractive benefits. Equality, diversity and equal opportunities are essential to quality and form an integral part of KTH’s core values as a university and public authority.

Learn more about our benefits and what it's like to work and grow at KTH.

Trade union representatives

Contact information to trade union representatives.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system to apply for this position. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete according to the instructions in the ad.

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
• A brief account of why you wish to pursue research, your academic interests, and how these relate to the subject description above. Maximum length: 2 pages.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.
Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Type of employment: Temporary position
Contract type: Full time
First day of employment: According to agreement
Salary: Monthly salary
Number of positions: 1
Full-time equivalent: 100 %
City: Stockholm
County: Stockholms län
Country: Sweden
Reference number: PA-2026-1246
Contact:

Published: 2026-04-08
Last application date: 2026-04-28

Website

https://academicpositions.com/ad/kth-royal-institute-of-technology/2026/postdoc…

Research Field

Computer science

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Website for additional job details

https://academicpositions.com

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Country

Sweden

City

Stockholm

Postal Code

11428

Street

Brinellvägen 8

Geofield

City

Stockholm

Website

http://www.kth.se

Postal Code

11428

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