Postdoctoral Research Associate, SPARTA

Job Title
Postdoctoral Research Associate, SPARTA

Agency
Texas A&M University

Department
Texas A&M Institute of Data Science

Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate

Job Location
College Station, Texas

Job Type
Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Who We Are

The Texas A&M Institute of Data Science (TAMIDS) pursues new approaches to data science research, education, operations, and partnerships. These approaches cross college boundaries to connect elements of Data Science from engineering, technology, science, and the humanities, and inform wider social challenges.

What We Want

TAMIDS is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for the SPARTA - Security, Privacy and Trust for AI Thematic Lab. The SPARTA Thematic Lab aims to enable and facilitate harnessing AI-driven capabilities for improving the security and resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure and national security. The preferred candidate will have a strong academic or industrial background in machine learning, trustworthy machine learning and AI, agentic AI, adversarial machine learning, graph-based learning, multi-domain multi-modal analytics, privacy-preserving methods, and resilience-by-design systems methodologies. . Having experience in foundational disciplines in engineering and science is a plus. We seek to hire a team player who will promote collaboration and cooperation while working within a team.

What You Need To Know

Compensation will be commensurate to the selected hire's experience.

A cover letter, resume', and contact information for three professional references (to include at least one previous supervisor) are strongly recommended. You may upload all three on the application under CV/Resume or upon answering the questionnaire you may attach the documents.

Qualifications

Required Education

• Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering, computational sciences, computer science, informatics, or related areas in data science and engineering systems.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated expertise in computational sciences and numerical modeling.
• Demonstrated expertise in machine learning methods and foundations.
• Strong programming skills, including the use of Python / TensorFlow /PyTorch.
• Experience using high-performance computing systems.
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent scientific writing ability and good communication skills, with strong publication skills.
• Ability to cultivate and maintain professional working relationships with people of different backgrounds. (DOR Required)

Preferred Experience

• Experience with cyber-physical testbeds and threat emulation platforms/tools.
• Experience with agentic AI frameworks.
• Working knowledge of OT/ICS/IIoT security, intrusion detection, and vulnerability assessment for critical infrastructures.
• Proficiency in system modeling, cybersecurity, trustworthy ML/AI, adversarial ML/AI, reinforcement learning, graph-based modeling, learning on graphs, generative AI for cybersecurity, and experience with AI-driven anomaly detection via temporal and spatial analysis.
• Foundational understanding of cyber-physical systems dynamics and control.
• Experience with physics-informed methods.
• Practical experience with networking, communication protocols, and virtualization.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience in establishing and maintaining scientific sharing platforms for models, datasets, etc.
• Experience in organizing workshops and panels on relevant topics.

Responsibilities

• Research- Performs original high-quality research within the multidisciplinary collaborative groups in the SPARTA in line with objectives agreed upon at appointment and reviewed periodically.
• Works collaboratively with SPARTA members on research activities, pilot projects, and proposal development. Produces publications, conference papers, and other research outputs, according to agreed objectives, and attends and presents research findings at appropriate conferences and meetings. Attend internal and external seminars, conferences, and workshops aimed at sharing research outcomes, building interdisciplinary collaboration within and outside groups, and mutual education.
• Community Engagements- Promotes the research associated with SPARTA by developing and delivering talks, tutorials, workshops, and short courses. Develop software packages to implement lab research results and provide consultation on usage. Assists with the organization of community-building activities and assists with the day-to-day operations of the lab. Assists with mentoring research students in group and/or interdisciplinary student team projects. Supports the development of the lab ecosystem, tools, datasets, and models repository with required processes for access and sharing in the Texas A&M Systems.

Other Requirements and Factors

• Daily duties to be performed on-site.
• This position is security sensitive.
• This position requires compliance with state and federal laws/codes and Texas A&M University System/TAMU policies, regulations, rules and procedures.
• All tasks and job responsibilities must be performed safely without injury to self or others in compliance with System and University safety requirements.
• This position is contingent upon continued external funding. Employment is dependent on the availability of grant or contract support, and may be subject to change based on funding levels. While we strive to maintain continuity, the position is not guaranteed beyond the current funding period.

Why Texas A&M University?

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration. Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you. Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatically enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Employee Tuition Assistance and Educational Release time for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.