Postdoc Cyber Security of Digital Substations for Power Grids

Develop anomaly detection and cyber secure, real-time protection schemes for digital substations in future power grids, as part of Horizon COCOON project.

Job description

COCOON project, funded under Horizon Europe, is recruiting 3 talented, enthusiastic, and ambitious postdoctoral researchers to perform excellent research and achieve breakthroughs in the field of power system resilience and cyber security. The main objective of COCOON is to deliver practical cyber-physical power system solutions by bridging secure networked systems research and innovation with power system engineering. To this end, a set of technological innovations will be developed for the detection and prevention of cyber attacks in digital substations. The COCOON solutions will be demonstrated at TSO, DSO, DRES, and digital substation in 4 real demonstration environments.

Within the EU COCOON project, Delft University of Technology is hiring 3 postdoctoral researchers of 15 months each on the subject “Cyber security of digital substations for power grids.” The candidates are expected to posses a strong background in: (1) power system analysis, power system dynamics and protection or (2) computer networking or (3) cyber security.

The project objectives are to:

• Postdoc 1: Develop a real-time digital twin of the power grid in RTDS to analyse how cyber attacks simulated using HIL on a digital substation with IEDs can cause cascading failures;
• Postdoc 2: Develop and test anomaly detection using AI techniques for digital substations;
• Postdoc 3: Develop and test cyber secure, real-time protection schemes for digital substations by performing network integrity checks for digital substation traffic (IEC61850 GOOSE and Sampled Values) using message authentication mechanisms such as HMAC.

You will develop and integrate these technologies in a cyber range which will be a playground for network penetration testing and ethical hacking activities. Our large RTDS infrastructure and a digital substation are connected for hardware-in-the-loop simulations and cyber attacks. They are coupled with IT-OT systems, the Control Room of the Future (CRoF) and a cyber range. This state-of-the-art lab will be used to conduct research and demonstration of prototype solutions to both academic and industry partners.

You will be supervised by Dr. Alex Stefanov (Associate Professor) and join the Cyber Resilient Power Grids (CRPG) team.

You will dedicate about 60% of the time to research activities within COCOON project together with 1 PhD and 1 postdoc.

You will dedicate about 40% of the time to help with PhDs supervision.

We offer 3 Postdoc appointments of 15 months each with a start date of no later than June 1, 2025.

Job requirements

Essentials: 

• Demonstrable interest in interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, and specifically the interface between power systems, information and communication technologies, and preferably cyber security.
• Completed a PhD degree in a highly quantitative and analytical related discipline (electrical engineering with an emphasis on power systems, automatic control, applied mathematics, and/or computer science).
• Excellent academic and publication track record.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
• Strong knowledge of power system dynamics, computer networking, and/or cyber security.
• Very good command of English. The minimum requirement of a TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS of 7.0 with scores of at least 6.5 for each section (writing, reading, listening, speaking) applies to all candidates wanting to pursue a Postdoc at TU Delft.
• You enjoy performing research. You are independent, self-motivated, and eager to learn. 
• You are keen to work with industry partners to link real-world challenges to fundamental research questions. 
• Very good, demonstrable experience with (1) computer modelling and real-time simulation such as RTDS and/or OPAL-RT or (2) protocols used in digital substations for protection, automation and control such as IEC61850 and IEC 104 or (3) intrusion detection systems.
• You enjoy programming and hold your code to a high standard.

Desirables:

• Knowledge of computer networking and cyber security.
• Knowledge of cyber security standards for OT operations (IEC 62351/ IEC 62443).
• Knowledge on cryptographic techniques for message authentication, integrity, and confidentiality check.
• Experience with computer networking (or software-defined networking) and penetration testing (network or device level).
• Experience with Python and machine learning libraries.
• Experience with collaborative software development (e.g. open source).

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

About the department

The research in the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy is inspired by the technical, scientific, and societal challenges originating from the transition towards a more sustainable society and focuses on four areas:

• DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage (DCE&S) 

• Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD)

• Intelligent Electrical Power Grids (IEPG)

• High Voltage Technologies (HVT)

The department owns a large ESP Laboratory assembling High Voltage testing, DC Grids testing environment, and large RTDS that is actively used for real-time simulation of future electrical power systems, AC and DC protection and wide-area monitoring and protection. The Intelligent Electrical Power Grid (IEPG) group, headed by Professor Peter Palensky, works on the future of our power system.

Conditions of employment 

• Duration of contract is 15 months.
• A job of 36-40 hours per week. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network. 

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Alex Stefanov, via a.i.stefanov@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 31 Jan 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• Application letter addressed to Dr. Alex Stefanov that explains your personal motivation in pursuing a Postdoc and fit to the job requirements.
• Your curriculum vitae (CV) with a list of your publications.
• List of three academic and/or industry references that we can contact.

You can address your application to Dr. Alex Stefanov, incomplete applications will not be considered.   

The candidates will be screened as the applications arrive and the promissing candidates will be shortlisted and contacted before the closing of this post. The knowledge security screening may be performed.

If you are interested, do not wait to apply, we are happy to schedule an interview while the response period is running. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.