Postdoctoral Fellow

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Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering and Design.

This fixed-term research position is part of the finding, understanding, and mitigating vulnerabilities in domestic and global software supply chains programme, funded by the Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington. The software systems that drive the world’s economy are not built from scratch. More than 90% of enterprises worldwide use proprietary and opensource third‑party components (such as libraries and modules) and build‑and‑deployment services to achieve economies of scale. These components have their own dependencies, which results in complex and vulnerable software supply chains. Exploiting vulnerabilities is the most common form of initial cybersecurity attack – one in five vulnerabilities is exploited within 48 hours. Software security updates are often delayed, leading to technical lag. This is often caused by breaking changes in new versions that hinder downstream adaption. This research will investigate new techniques for deploying security patches of libraries to downstream clients without causing breaking changes (source, binary and behavioural incompatibility), or if breaking changes will occur, techniques to automatically mitigate them and adapt clients accordingly. This role focuses on improving patch deployment approaches for modern software systems, developing new techniques for patching and refactoring clients, and creating prototype systems to demonstrate and evaluate these innovations.

Key responsibilities

• Identifying shortcomings in existing patch deployment approaches.
• Designing and evaluating new methods for patch deployment and client refactoring.
• Developing and refining software prototypes to demonstrate new methods and techniques.
• Conducting user studies and empirical evaluations with industry partners.
• Publishing high-quality research in peer-reviewed venues.
• Collaborating closely with the Human Aspects of Software Engineering Lab (HASEL) and other project investigators.
• Supporting and mentoring students involved in related research.

Qualifications

You will hold (or be close to completing) a PhD in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline, with strong research experience in software maintenance, patch deployment, software evolution, or similar areas.

Preferred

Compensation and benefits

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) 24-month contract role based at the University of Auckland, with some travel required for collaboration meetings. The salary for this role is $90,405 per annum. The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university and offers flexible employment practices, up to 6.75% superannuation scheme, competitive salary with five weeks annual leave, and a range of career development programs and benefits.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online by 25 / 11 / 2025 to be considered. Please include your cover letter and CV, highlighting how your experience aligns with the role. Please note that we may close the advert early if a suitable candidate is identified. For a confidential conversation about the role, please contact Associate Professor Kelly Blincoe (Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering) - Please note that applications sent via email will not be accepted.

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