Copyright: CASA, Riediger
Let CASA be your new home for excellent cybersecurity research! We are constantly looking for national and international talent from the research community to join our team. With tailored support programs and personalized assistance, we aim to help graduates and doctoral students start their scientific careers.
We are regularly looking for outstanding Master’s graduates (m/f/d) with excellent grades and degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, and psychology (preferably with a technical focus) or related disciplines, as well as outstanding postdocs (m/f/d) from these fields. The salary is based on pay grade E 13 of the TV-L collective agreement (full-time).
We are always looking for outstanding M.Sc. graduates who are working toward a doctoral degree.
We are permanently looking for excellent Postdocs.
The CASA Jump.Start program offers young postdocs the opportunity to develop and carry out their own independent research project right from the start of their careers.
CASA Summer School. Copyright: CASA, Marquard
Excursion at the CASA Retreat. Copyright: Schreiber
WISC. Copyright: CASA, Meyer
At CASA, based at the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security and the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr University Bochum, you’ll conduct research alongside an interdisciplinary team of leading cybersecurity researchers. Right on the RUB campus, you’ll find key research partners such as the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy and the Center for Advanced Internet Studies. The city of Bochum is considered a hotspot for startups and companies in the field of cybersecurity.
We understand the challenges of balancing research and family life. Our Active Parenthood Support, the Dual Career Program, and the RUB Family Service offer you the support you need. In addition to the Women in Security and Cryptography Workshop (WISC), we offer regular networking events for women* in cybersecurity as well as workshops on diversity and inclusion topics.
We place great value on your academic and personal development. CASA offers you a wide range of workshops and lecture series, such as our annual CASA Summer School. As an early-career researcher, you are part of the CASA International Graduate School and benefit from cross-project research, PhD lectures, personalized mentoring, and the CIGS Colloquium.
At CASA, we not only encourage professional discussions but also promote social interaction. We believe that a strong team enriches our research. In addition to various events throughout the year, our annual retreat is a highlight where all CASA members come together. We look forward to your ideas and input!
We provide a generous budget for professional development, conferences, equipment, and (international) exchange programs to support your research and expand your network.
Audimax. Copyright: RUB, Katja Marquard
Aerial view of the RUB campus. Copyright: RUB, Katja Marquard
Lawn in front of the GA building. Copyright: RUB, Katja Marquard
To explain what drives us, we need to tell you our story – because even though the CASA Cluster of Excellence was established in 2019, it all began much earlier. More precisely, nearly 25 years ago, when two visionaries in electrical engineering and cryptology founded the Horst-Görtz-Institut für IT Security at Ruhr University Bochum: Prof. Hans Dobbertin and Prof. Christof Paar. Driven by passion and motivation, the institute grew. More and more top researchers came to Bochum, and cybersecurity increasingly became a focal point for business, politics, and research. Our IT Security study program was the first of its kind in Germany.
This groundbreaking work forms the foundation for the Cluster of Excellence CASA “Securing the Digital Society.” The research conducted by our Cluster of Excellence is characterized by a strongly interdisciplinary approach that examines not only technical issues but also the interplay between human behavior and cybersecurity. Our research focuses on:
In our video series “CASA Stories,” CASA Principal Investigators (PIs) give us a glimpse into their daily work.
All applications must be submitted through the official job portal of Ruhr University Bochum.
Please submit your complete application documents in a single PDF file (max. 10 MB).
Required documents include:
Travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.
At Ruhr University Bochum, we are particularly committed to promoting the careers of women* in areas where they are underrepresented, and we highly encourage female applicants. We also welcome applications from qualified individuals with disabilities or equivalent status.
Please note:
Applicants must have an above-average degree (master’s or doctorate, as applicable) in computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, psychology (preferably with a technical focus), or related disciplines. Fluency in spoken and written English is also required. In addition, applicants should have at least a basic knowledge of one or more of the research areas relevant to CASA (see Research). Postdoctoral researchers should already have published relevant work at leading conferences on cryptography and cybersecurity.
Dr. Patrick Schulte
Universitätsstraße 150
44801 Bochum, Germany
(+49) (0) 234 3227722
Automated Security Analysis (Flavio Toffalini)
Information Security (Ghassan Karame)
Network & Data Security (Jörg Schwenk)
Security Engineering (Tim Güneysu)
Software Security (Kevin Borgolte)
You can find an overview of all PIs and their research areas here.
