Chair in Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies

Job description

About

University of Sheffield

Job Reference Number:

3292

Faculty:

Faculty of Engineering

School:

School of Computer Science

Closing Date:

15th November 2026

 

 

Are you a pioneering researcher in cybersecurity and emerging technologies, such as sovereign defence, quantum security, and AI assurance? We have an exciting opportunity to join our School of Computer Science as a Chair in Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies.

 

We are seeking a world-class academic passionate about driving innovation in fields such as cyber-physical systems resilience, post-quantum cryptography, and secure, trustworthy AI. You will be a researcher who thrives on solving real-world challenges – whether protecting critical national infrastructure, securing emerging quantum networks, or delivering high-impact publications at premier international venues such as top security conferences (IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, USENIX Security, Network and Distributed System Security Symposium) or International Association for Cryptologic Research flagship conferences (Crypto, Eurocrypt). You will possess the strategic vision to strengthen our national security and defence research agenda and the dedication to inspire the next generation through research-led teaching. If you enjoy working collaboratively to make a global impact, we would love to hear from you.

 

You will join a school ranked ninth in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2025 and third by the Daily Mail University Guide 2025. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 99% of our research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. We are a vibrant community and research environment, fostering interdisciplinary relationships with partners such as the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), the Sheffield Quantum Centre, and the South Yorkshire Innovation District.

 

In this pivotal professor-level role, you will provide strategic leadership within our Security of Advanced Systems (SoAS) research group and collaborate more widely to advance strategy and relevant security research within the school and the Faculty of Engineering. You will develop and support capabilities in relevant domains, eg AI assurance or post-quantum cryptography, and be a key catalyst for enhancing our contribution to sovereign defence capability. You will also play a vital role in evolving our curriculum, leading the modernisation of our MSc in Cybersecurity and AI and shaping new undergraduate programmes, such as "Computer Science with Cybersecurity." This is an exceptional career move for a leader ready to shape the future of a global top 100 university.

 

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and the University.

 

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.