Postdoctoral Fellow in quantum-safe cryptography

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NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

     

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About the position

Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? We offer an exciting 3-year postdoctoral position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher. You will also gain valuable experience that might be relevant for your further career.

The work will involve cryptographic design and analysis to support secure, practical implementations for real-world quantum-resistant cryptography. The main application topics will be cryptographic voting, secure cloud storage and eGovernment services. Of particular interest will be hybrid schemes and cryptographic agility. There will also be a need to do further theory work, e.g. on QROM and related techniques.

Apply for this position to become part of our research environment and take the next step in your career with us.

About the project 

The position is part of the Quantum-Resistant Cryptography in Practice (QARC) project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. 

The QARC project is accelerating the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography by developing secure, practical implementations for real-world systems. From embedded devices to cloud infrastructures, it focuses on hybrid schemes, cryptographic agility, and resistance to side-channel attacks. Partnering with national cyber security authorities, the project runs pilots in e-government and open-source platforms to test deployment strategies across the EU. QARC also supports policy development, standardisation, and coordinated roadmaps, with special attention to helping smaller countries manage the transition. QARC is laying the groundwork for a secure digital future in the post-quantum era.

Duties of the position

• Carry out research supporting the work programme in QARC
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Project reporting for QARC
• Participate in the interdepartemental research group NaCl (https://www.ntnu.edu/iik/nacl-lab)
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions 
• Other career-promoting activities

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in cryptography or a related area.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English.
• The ability to teach courses at the department (https://wiki.math.ntnu.no/emner).

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

If you do not already have educational competence that meets the requirements for a position as associate professor in Norway, NTNU will arrange for you to acquire such competence during the employment period. In such cases, you will also be assigned relevant teaching as part of the career-promoting work.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations concerning the degrees of philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• strong background in cryptographic protocol design and analysis, and in particular provable security and the quantum random oracle model
• strong background in lattice-based or other quantum-safe cryptography
• experience with cryptographic voting systems
• experience with applied cryptography and cryptographic agility

Personal characteristics

Working as a Postdoctoral fellow requires that you

• Work independently 
• Engage and contribute constructively with feedback 
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject 

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer 

• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment 
• Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which containsthe skills and knowledge you will acquire
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues 
• Favorable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 633 400,- per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 - 3,5 years, depending on whether there is a need to include courses within educational competence.

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to adapt to them. 

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application 

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. 

The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request. 

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's-, Master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or confirmation that your PhD thesis has been submitted. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• CV
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, you can attach a draft of the thesis. 
• Academic works - published or unpublished (up to 5 items)
• Possible recommendation letters
• Name and contact information of three referees

If all or parts of your education hasbeen taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation requiredcan be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and is committed to follow evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA and the obligations in CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information 

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public list of applicants, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact professor Kristian Gjøsteen, email: kristian.gjosteen@ntnu.no .

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Lisa Wedershoven, email: lisa.wedershoven@ntnu.no .

If you find this position interesting, and in accordance with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.

Application deadline: 28.01.2026.

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000.The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.