• Use your skills to solve complex problems on a global stage
• Exciting opportunity to work in a leading scientific institution with dedicated professionals
• Join CSIRO's Data61 - Australia's largest data innovation group

The Postdoctoral fellow will work on different aspects of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) as applied to problems arising in privacy preservation of real-world datasets.

You will be involved in one or more projects in three focus areas:

• Designing algorithms and protocols that allow private release and/or analysis of data for different application scenarios. These include online access to data through a secure interface, one-off release of synthetic data, real-time release of statistics from continuous streams of data, and data aggregation at the edge in an Internet-of-Things (IoT) setting.
• Application and implementation of private algorithms for release and analysis of real-world industry and government datasets in ongoing and future data privacy projects. This will involve identification and development of suitable algorithms (in terms of computational efficiency and utility) targeted to a particular dataset and statistical insights.
• Examining and introducing variants of provable privacy definitions that improve trade-off between privacy and utility.

The outcome of this research will have both research and practical applications. The successful candidate will closely interact with both researchers and engineers within the Information Security and Privacy Group.

Work with CSIRO scientists and engineers within the Data Privacy team and across other research programs at Data61 to develop and analyse differentially private algorithms and techniques. This will involve:

• Design and evaluation of privacy-preserving algorithms for different settings (online, offline, real-time, etc.) as required diverse application scenarios.
• Engagement with other business units of CSIRO, industry and government clients of commercial projects to understand their privacy requirements, formalising the privacy problem and identifying suitable solutions.
• Analyse and identify privacy attacks and vulnerabilities due to shortcomings or incorrect application of privacy techniques such as k-anonymity, de-identification methods and differential privacy.
• Work with engineers within the team to ensure secure implementations of PETs algorithms.
• Explore alternate provable privacy solutions, e.g. where differential privacy fails to give reasonable utility or where differentially private algorithms are computationally inefficient.
• Investigate theoretical limits including impossibility results and the gaps between theory and practice, e.g., showing that it is impossible to devise an efficient algorithm under differential privacy for a given class of analysis and demonstrating what this means in practice.

Location: Sydney, NSW
Salary: AU$83k - AU$94k plus up to 15.4%  superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 64469

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Theoretical Computer Science, Algorithms, Mathematics with a computing major, Cryptography, Information and Data Privacy. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (or part time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in one or more of the following areas: Design and analysis of algorithms, Differential Privacy framework, Applied Cryptography, Probabilistic and statistical framework, machine learning and Information theory.
• Demonstrated experience in the collection and processing of large data sets, development of efficient algorithms on large datasets, and development of security or privacy-preserving algorithms or protocols for processing and sharing data.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a research team, plus the motivation and discipline to carry out autonomous research.
• A record of science innovation and creativity plus the ability and willingness to incorporate novel ideas and approaches into scientific investigations.
• A record of publication in top peer reviewed journals and conferences (i.e. high impact factor, or selective acceptance rate).
• High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including the presentation of research outcomes at national and international conferences.
• A sound history of publication in peer reviewed journals and/or authorship of scientific papers, reports, grant applications or patents.
• A record of science innovation and creativity, including the ability & willingness to incorporate novel ideas and approaches into scientific investigations.

For details about who to contact and for more information please view the Position description

We’re working hard to recruit diverse people and ensure all our people feel supported to do their best work and empowered to let their ideas flourish - D&I Strategy

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

At CSIRO you can be part of helping to solve big, complex problems that make a real difference to our future. We spark off each other, learn from each other, trust each other and collaborate to achieve more than we could individually in a supportive, rewarding, inclusive and truly flexible environment.

Who we are

CSIRO’s Data61 business unit is the largest data innovation group in Australia, bringing together approximately 600 research and development staff working in digital technologies to create benefit for Australia. Data61 develops Australia's future leaders with its strong 300+ PhD student program in collaboration with our best universities across Australia.

To apply online, please provide a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability and motivation for the role.

Thursday 9th January 2020