Job description:
The open position is meant to complete the research team already working on the "SiTel" project, funded by the BMBF. The project's objective is to design and develop a VoIP desktop phone that is trustworthy and secure. The phone's primary function is to offer hacking-proof end-to-end encryption that is easy to use. The development encompasses the hardware and software including the phone's enclosing, which offers unique control over user experience. The base system builds on the Parallax Propeller Microprocessor whose hardware description is available under an Open Source license. The entire system is meant to become Open Source after the end of the project. Anticipated users of the phone are journalists and their sources as well as other professional groups who routinely handle privileged information. Usability research is meant to study how these groups interact with and respond to such a phone in the context of workshops and experimental deployments.
The position is meant to be filled with an individual who is capable of and interested in the following areas:
1. Design and study of tangible user interfaces in hardware and software
2. Design and study of easy-to-use mechanisms for cryptographic functions for resource constrained hardware
3. Rapid prototyping and development of software and electronics for user interaction concepts for embedded systems
4. Design and organization of user studies, including interviews and workshops
5. Publication of scientific articles
Requirements:
Master's degree in computer science, electronics or equivalent knowledge and skills, and a PhD in computer science
Desirable:
Ideal candidates have knowledge and expertise in the design, development and study of Human Computer Interaction with a focus on tangible user interfaces. Candidates ideally also bring experience in the development and testing of low-power electronics, for example, using breadboards, the design of PCBs, the implementation of on-system communications, for example, using I2C, SPI or RS-.
Applicants shall be self-starters capable of driving a research project forwards towards completion. They shall have a strong interest in pursuing and publishing innovative research, while being "hands-on". They shall work well in a team. Working languages are English and German. Experience with publishing research results according to scientific standards is required. Please indicate your pronouns in your application.