PhD Position in Formal Methods for Concurrent Cryptographic Protocols

You will carry out research towards developing formal reasoning principles for concurrent cryptographic protocols and participate in the dissemination of results (conferences, research visits, etc.). In addition, you will perform light supervision duties for bachelor and/or master students and support our courses as teaching assistants (maximum two periods a year).

• A master’s degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related subject.
• Experience with functional programming (e.g., Haskell) or proof assistants (e.g. Rocq, Agda, Lean).
• Good communication skills in English
• Optional: experience with cryptography, security or concurrent programming

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of € 3.059,00 (scale 85-0) gross per month in the first year, increasing to € 3.881,00 (scale 85-3) in the fourth year, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile PhD candidate.
• an employment contract of initially 18 months. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• contribution to commuting expenses

Department of Computer Science
The Department of Computer Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is an internationally recognised centre of excellence, advancing the full spectrum of Computer Science in both research and education. It comprises approximately 230 staff members and is organised around strongly connected themes: AI & Data, Systems & Infrastructure, Software, Security & Privacy and Theory of Computation.

The department combines fundamental insights with real-world application across a wide range of societal domains, with a particular focus on Health & Care. In doing so, it adopts a human-centred and interdisciplinary approach, contributing to a healthy, sustainable and secure digital society in which responsible computing advances the wellbeing of people and planet.

Faculty of Science
Working at the Faculty of Science means collaborating with students, lecturers and researchers who are focused on their field, yet have a broad view of the world. We are proud of a positive and inclusive workplace culture within the faculty, where we work together with great energy and a pragmatic attitude to tackle social challenges. At the Faculty of Science, scientists and students work on fundamental and complex societal issues for a sustainable, healthy and just future.

From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, from helium to the universe and from genetics to medicine: our education and research cover the full breadth of science, from molecules to mankind. Our academic education and research are highly experimental, technical and interdisciplinary in nature. That is why we collaborate extensively with leading scientific institutes and industry. The faculty has more than 8,000 students studying in one of the 39 programms and employs more than 1,400 staff across 10 scientific departments, making us one of the largest science faculties in the Netherlands.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Are you interested in this position, and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application. The starting date for the position is 01/09/2026 or as otherwise agreed upon.

Application materials – request for Curriculum Vitae, contact information for 2 referees.

Contact details:
Sabine Oechsner (s.a.oechsner@vu.nl)
Kristina Sojakova (k.sojakova@vu.nl)

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.