Senior Principal Research Scientist, Data Privacy - CSIRO - Data61 - ICTCareer

First listed on: 29 July 2022

Senior Principal Research Scientist, Data Privacy

 

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

The Opportunity

CSIRO’s Data61 is the digital technologies and data science arm of Australia’s national science agency. With around 400 staff and another 300 affiliate staff, Data61 represents one of the largest collections of R&D expertise in artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, robotics, and software engineering in the world. With a focus on impact-driven science and technology, Data61 works across disciplines and industry sectors to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges through digital R&D.

In your role as Senior Principal Researcher in CSIRO, you will lead and conduct innovative research producing scientific achievements aligned with CSIRO’s strategies. You may be engaged in scientific activity ranging from fundamental research to investigating the specific industry or community problems. You will have the opportunity to lead and conduct impactful research, build and maintain networks, mentor and work in collaboration with other researchers, and drive initiatives to secure project funds. You will contribute to the strategic research directions of the group, initiate and pursue new ideas and approaches that create new concepts, and provide scientific leadership to your team and group.

Your duties will include:

  • Driving and performing ground-breaking research in Data Privacy and Confidentiality Preserving Technology and its intersection with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Lead and manage some of the group’s R&D projects to deliver world-class research outcomes in the form of innovative products, software, IP, and high calibre competitive research publications, with an impact on the target domain of the project.
  • Actively building new collaborations and strengthening Data61’s network of industry partners, government agencies, and academics. Engaging with them to initiate, develop, seek approval or funding, and lead and manage significant research initiatives and projects aligned with the group’s research strategy and with potential commercial outcomes.
  • Identifying research and industry trends in Data Privacy and Confidentiality and related research areas. Contributing to the design of the group’s scientific strategy, informing portfolio analysis, and influencing the Research Program, Business Unit, and CSIRO’s research directions based on such trends.
  • Providing scientific and engineering leadership and mentorship to colleagues and students and coordinating, allocating, and managing resources to carry out innovative and impactful privacy research of strategic importance to CSIRO Data61.
  • Be recognised as an international authority in data privacy and confidentiality and typically possess knowledge across a range of scientific disciplines. Represent CSIRO Data61 and the research group both nationally and internationally in prestigious events to deliver talks, express leading thoughts, disseminate scientific results and research outcomes, advise policy makers and transfer knowledge to non-scientific audiences.
  • Leading significant research work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary, often regionally dispersed research teams, business units, or CSIRO initiatives (e.g., Missions, Future Science Platforms) to support the group’s scientific strategy, and CSIRO’s scientific objectives.

Location: Sydney, NSW
Salary: AU$169,377 - AU$197,180 per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Indefinite
Reference: 74870

To be considered you will need:

Essential:

  • A Ph.D. in a discipline area related to Data Privacy and Confidentiality, such as computer science, data science, applied mathematics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or another related field with relevant evidenced experience in the theoretical areas underlying privacy enhancing technologies.
  • An outstanding publication track record demonstrated through repetitive high visibility papers which were published in the top peer-reviewed conferences and journals focusing on data privacy and confidentiality or closely related research fields (e.g., computer science, machine learning, cybersecurity).
  • An established reputation and credibility within the online data privacy and confidentiality community, or a closely related field (e.g., data science, machine learning, cybersecurity) with evidence of community recognition.
  • Demonstrated experience in research leadership via managing research teams and/or leading significant research initiatives with real-life, domain-focused outcomes.
  • A demonstrated ability to develop research strategies, and propose novel multi-disciplinary related initiatives, through competitive funding, focusing on technologies related to data privacy and confidentiality including (but not limited to) data privacy measurement and modeling, data privacy preserving systems and technologies, privacy and confidentiality in machine learning algorithms, or to a closely related research field (e.g., machine learning, cybersecurity, data science)
  • A demonstrated ability to lead such multi-disciplinary initiatives or projects when approved for funding, including being responsible for and conducting significant parts of the related research activities, managing teams, consulting stakeholders, and seeking to deliver the best outcomes for the project.
  • Demonstrated record of applying technologies related to data privacy and confidentiality or closely related fields (e.g., machine learning, cybersecurity, data science) to application domains (such as digital agriculture, digital services, cybersecurity, education, health, etc) with evidenced outcomes and impacts.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work on multi-disciplinary challenges through successful collaborations with researchers from industry and academia.
  • Demonstrated high level of oral and written communication skills with the ability to represent Data61 research externally to both academia, government, and industry.

Desirable:

  • A strong established network of industry and network collaborators in privacy and confidentiality technologies and related areas (e.g., machine learning, cybersecurity, computer science) or potential application domains (such as digital agriculture, digital services, cybersecurity, education, health, etc).
  • Previous experience in leading and performing research in fairness, accountability, and trust for machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms.
  • A record of science innovation and creativity plus the ability and willingness to incorporate novel ideas and approaches into scientific investigations.
  • Demonstrated ability to adapt own research directions and priorities to align with an evolving group and organisational research strategies
  • Familiarity with privacy policies and frameworks, with an understanding of the differences between privacy risk and privacy compliance.
  • An understanding of the classes of privacy preserving technology (e.g. statistical disclosure, differential privacy, etc), and their inherent multidimensional trade-offs (e.g. privacy, utility, fairness)

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

Appointment to this role is subject to the provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

22nd August 2022, 11:00pm AEST