Intent Based Network Security and Formal Methods

Do you want to make a real difference?

Saab is a leading defence and security company with a mission to help nations protect their people and society. With talented employees worldwide, Saab develops advanced systems and solutions for a safer and more sustainable world. What you do truly matters.

At Saab, we also look beyond the horizon toward the future and continuously expand the possibilities of technology. We collaborate with the best partners worldwide. Doctoral studies in safe and secure networks or a job in industry? Saab France offers both.

Your Role

In this position, you will conduct doctoral research in IP Paris top research groups in close collaboration with Saab experts. Your research topic will be defined together with professors and will relate to security and safety aspects in future network systems. More specifically …

This PhD project explores next‑generation security mechanisms for intent‑based networks, focusing on how generative AI can translate security intents into correct and verifiable policies. You will investigate how interactive theorem provers (ITPs) can be integrated to provide formal proofs that automatically generate policies upholding required security properties.

At the same time, you will study how to exploit modern network monitoring facilities to empirically validate the generated and deployed policies. The work combines AI, formal verification, and network security in a rapidly evolving research domain. You will contribute to techniques that strengthen the reliability of automated security management. The project is conducted in close collaboration with experts at the forefront of AI‑supported formal methods and AI-driven network monitoring.

You will be employed permanently by Saab, but you will spend most of your time at IP Paris (CIEDS) academic research at the Saclay campus. You will also participate in Saab’s internal product development projects.

Business Area/Country Unit: Saab Surveillance

Location: Paris/Saclay, Centre Interdisciplinaire d’Etudes de Défense et Sécurité (CIEDS), France

Type of employment during PhD project: Convention Industrielle de Formation par la Recherche (CIFRE/CDI)

Your Profile

You may already have several years of experience in industry, or you may be a recently graduated Master of Science in Computer Science or equivalent.

You are motivated to work in an environment where long-term research aims to achieve significant technological innovations and breakthroughs. You are creative and enthusiastic, able to deliver results and challenge existing solutions. Your merits and academic performance are strong enough to gain admission to doctoral studies at IP Paris.

We expect fluent French and English skills, as both languages are used daily in our international company.

You have:

Strong expertise in networking, computer science and computer security in general and more specifically:

• Programmable networks
• Network monitoring and intrusion detection
• Network threat mitigation
• Machine learning and generative AI
• Formal methods

The position requires a willingness to travel as needed, in France, Sweden, and internationally.

Security Requirements

This position requires that you pass a security vetting based on the current regulations around/of security protection. For positions requiring security clearance additional obligations on citizenship may apply.

What you will be part of

Explore a wealth of possibilities. Take on challenges, create smart inventions, and grow beyond. This is a place for curious minds, brave pioneers, and everyone in between. Together, we achieve the extraordinary, each bringing our unique perspectives. Your part matters.

Saab is a leading defense and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe. Empowered by its 28,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world.

Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems. Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defense capability of several nations. Read more about us  here

Kindly observe that this is an ongoing recruitment process and that the position might be filled before the closing date of the advertisement.