Research Associate or Senior Research Associate: Usable Security and Privacy

The UKRI-funded National Research Centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online (‘REPHRAIN ’) has a vacancy for the position of (Senior) Research Associate. The post-holder, a researcher in usable security and privacy, will work to support the delivery of the Design and Engagement strand which explores participatory and co-design process with usability by citizens at the core.

REPHRAIN, the UK’s world-leading interdisciplinary community focussed on the protection of citizens online. A UKRI-funded National Research Centre, REPHRAIN has over 100 researchers at 13 UK institutions working across 37 diverse projects. REPHRAIN also works collaboratively with 23 founding industry, non-profit, government, law, regulation and international research centre partners as well as a wider set of policy and practice stakeholders. The Centre’s aim is to address the current tensions and imbalances between the substantial benefits to be gained by full participation in the digital economy, and the potential for harm through loss of privacy, security, disinformation and a myriad of other online harms. The research outcomes from REPHRAIN will provide the bedrock for innovative socio-technical solutions that empower individuals with regards to privacy and online safety and lead to new products and services for the digital economy.

Users are often over-whelmed by the expected level of knowledge required to make informed decisions about privacy and protecting themselves from online harms.

The post holder will:

• Utilise creative and design-led approaches to co-design with users and other stakeholders, approaches/tools to make sense of complex data ecosystems and have agency over their online interactions.
• Play a key role in the Centre’s activities, contributing to the development of the REPHRAIN Map of privacy, harm and adversarial influence.

Undertake iterative interaction with stakeholders and synthesising and disseminating outputs/insights from projects over the lifetime of the Centre, thus populating the REPHRAIN Toolbox.

• You have knowledge and expertise in usable security & privacy. Alternatively, a strong background in HCI with a demonstrable interest (e.g., through evidenced work) in protecting citizens from online harms.
• You can demonstrate knowledge and expertise in participatory design or other co-design methodologies involving diverse stakeholders.
• You have knowledge and expertise in designing and executing studies with human participants.
• You possess strong data analysis and methodological skills.
• You are experienced in working in multi-disciplinary research projects.
• You have knowledge and experience of ethics processes related to research.
• Publication record appropriate to stage of career including research publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
• You can demonstrate a track record of developing at least one medium size project (for example, degree dissertation or equivalent) with excellent results.

For informal queries, please contact: 

Professor Awais Rashid ([email protected] )

Yvonne Rigby ([email protected] )

To find out more about what it’s like to work in the Faculty of Engineering, and how the Faculty supports people to achieve their potential, please see our staff blog:

https://engineeringincludesme.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/

We recently launched our strategy  to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people – because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.

Available documents

The UKRI-funded National Research Centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online (‘REPHRAIN ’) has a vacancy for the position of (Senior) Research Associate. The post-holder, a researcher in usable security and privacy, will work to support the delivery of the Design and Engagement strand which explores participatory and co-design process with usability by citizens at the core.

REPHRAIN, the UK’s world-leading interdisciplinary community focussed on the protection of citizens online. A UKRI-funded National Research Centre, REPHRAIN has over 100 researchers at 13 UK institutions working across 37 diverse projects. REPHRAIN also works collaboratively with 23 founding industry, non-profit, government, law, regulation and international research centre partners as well as a wider set of policy and practice stakeholders. The Centre’s aim is to address the current tensions and imbalances between the substantial benefits to be gained by full participation in the digital economy, and the potential for harm through loss of privacy, security, disinformation and a myriad of other online harms. The research outcomes from REPHRAIN will provide the bedrock for innovative socio-technical solutions that empower individuals with regards to privacy and online safety and lead to new products and services for the digital economy.

Users are often over-whelmed by the expected level of knowledge required to make informed decisions about privacy and protecting themselves from online harms.

The post holder will:

• Utilise creative and design-led approaches to co-design with users and other stakeholders, approaches/tools to make sense of complex data ecosystems and have agency over their online interactions.
• Play a key role in the Centre’s activities, contributing to the development of the REPHRAIN Map of privacy, harm and adversarial influence.

Undertake iterative interaction with stakeholders and synthesising and disseminating outputs/insights from projects over the lifetime of the Centre, thus populating the REPHRAIN Toolbox.

• You have knowledge and expertise in usable security & privacy. Alternatively, a strong background in HCI with a demonstrable interest (e.g., through evidenced work) in protecting citizens from online harms.
• You can demonstrate knowledge and expertise in participatory design or other co-design methodologies involving diverse stakeholders.
• You have knowledge and expertise in designing and executing studies with human participants.
• You possess strong data analysis and methodological skills.
• You are experienced in working in multi-disciplinary research projects.
• You have knowledge and experience of ethics processes related to research.
• Publication record appropriate to stage of career including research publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
• You can demonstrate a track record of developing at least one medium size project (for example, degree dissertation or equivalent) with excellent results.

For informal queries, please contact: 

Professor Awais Rashid ([email protected] )

Yvonne Rigby ([email protected] )

To find out more about what it’s like to work in the Faculty of Engineering, and how the Faculty supports people to achieve their potential, please see our staff blog:

https://engineeringincludesme.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/

We recently launched our strategy  to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people – because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.

Available documents