Postdoc Researcher in Resilient Edge Computing for Critical Infrastructure

Are you passionate about building distributed systems that keep running under attack, failure, and disruption? Do you want to work on research that directly strengthens the resilience of Europe's critical digital infrastructure? If so, we invite you to apply for this postdoctoral position at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

The Project

This position is part of CIRES (Critical Infrastructure Resilience through Edge Computing Systems), a European research project funded under the Chips Joint Undertaking. CIRES addresses a fundamental and urgent challenge: how to design distributed digital infrastructures that remain operational, secure, and trustworthy under failures, cyber attacks, degraded connectivity, and large-scale disruptions.

Modern critical infrastructure increasingly relies on tightly coupled edge computing, distributed communication networks, and cloud coordination. While these architectures offer autonomy and scalability, they also introduce complex failure modes and new attack surfaces. CIRES develops next-generation resilient edge-cloud architectures with a focus on secure communication, distributed coordination, adaptive service continuity, and rapid recovery under adverse conditions.

The project brings together leading European research institutes, universities, and industrial partners, offering an opportunity to address scientifically challenging distributed systems problems while contributing to technologies that safeguard essential societal infrastructure.

As a postdoctoral researcher in CIRES, you will develop network and system mechanisms that keep critical infrastructure services running when connectivity and power are degraded or disrupted. The work combines protocol and architecture design with implementation and experimental validation in real environments, together with the project's application partners.

Designing resilient network protocols and architectures that work across connectivity conditions, from well-connected, high-capacity networks to intermittently connected, delay- and disruption-tolerant networks (DTN), and adapt to the conditions at handApplying these mechanisms so that sensors, IoT and other low-power devices, user devices, and edge systems keep sufficient communication services during disruptions to communication and power infrastructureDeveloping methods for offloading computation between end devices, edge, and cloud based on available resources and current and predicted service needs, together with efficient data collection and cachingContributing to robust AI/ML and data analysis methods that support resilient decision making when only partial data is availableIntegrating solutions with partners' software and platforms and evaluating them in large-scale tests in real environmentsPublishing results in leading international conferences and journalsContributing to EU project deliverables and technical reportingCollaborating with industrial and academic partners across Europe

You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team and engage with industrial partners to validate solutions in relevant environments.

What We Offer

This position provides a strong platform for building an internationally visible research career. Specifically, you will benefit from:

The opportunity to publish in leading international venues in distributed systems and networkingInfluence over technical direction within your research areaAccess to realistic deployment environments and industrial validation scenariosParticipation in large-scale European research collaboration across industry and academiaExposure to the full research-to-deployment pipeline within critical infrastructure contextsCareer development support toward senior roles in academia, research institutes, or industrial R&D

The position is a full-time, fixed-term appointment for two years, starting as soon as possible, designed to support your career development. You will gain experience in large-scale European collaboration, applied research in critical infrastructure, and direct interaction with industrial stakeholders. Travel is included in the role, primarily within Europe, with an estimated 3-4 international trips per year for consortium meetings, workshops, and conferences.

Who Are You?

PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related fieldStrong background in networked and distributed systems, for example network protocols, wireless or IoT networking, or edge computingExperience in system design and experimental evaluationDemonstrated ability to publish scientific researchStrong programming skills (e.g., Python, C/C++, or equivalent)Excellent written and spoken English

Experience with EU-funded research projectsExperience with robust or distributed AI/ML, for example federated learningExperience with delay- and disruption-tolerant, opportunistic, or mesh networkingFamiliarity with containerization, virtualization, or distributed deployment environmentsExperience with computation offloading, caching, or edge resource managementExperience with testbeds or real-world deployments, including low-power IoT devicesFamiliarity with semiconductor or embedded hardware platformsExperience collaborating with industrial partners

We are looking for a researcher who combines intellectual rigour with practical systems thinking. We value:

Strong analytical capability and independent problem-solvingAbility to drive research forward with initiative and self-leadershipCollaborative mindset in multidisciplinary, international environmentsClear and structured communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholdersCuriosity, technical depth, and motivation to work on challenging problems with real-world relevance

Are we right for each other?

At RISE, we like different and we are convinced that diversity contributes to an innovative environment where we together challenge boundaries and develop new knowledge for the future. With us, passionate problem solvers meet to solve some of the world's most important, and perhaps fun, problems. We cannot promise you an easy job, but what we can promise you is a bunch of committed colleagues and some really exciting societal and industrial challenges to tackle. You will work in a dynamic environment that gives you development opportunities both professionally and personally. With us, you get the opportunity to make a real difference. Welcome to Sweden's research institute and innovation partner!

Welcome with Your Application!

For more information, please contact Anders Lindgren, supervisor, at anders.lindgren@ri.se. The last application date is October 16th. Selection and interviews will be conducted continuously during and after the application period. Apply without cover letter.

Our union representatives are Ingemar Petermann, SACO, +46 10 228 41 22 and Linda Ikatti, Unionen, +46 10 516 51 61.