Research Associate in Ethereum

Job reference: SAE-032448
Salary: £37,694-£46,049
Faculty/Organisational Unit: Science and Engineering
Location: Manchester
Employment type: Fixed Term
Division/Team: Department of Computer Science
Hours Per Week: Full time (1 FTE)
Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 15/10/2026
Contract Duration: Fixed term for 6 months
School/Directorate: School of Engineering

We are seeking a motivated and collaborative individual to join our team as a Research Associate in Ethereum. This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to research within a dynamic and inclusive environment.

The post holder will design and build AI agents and verification engines for the formal verification and automated testing of Ethereum consensus specifications, as part of the project “Bounded Model Checking for Verifying and Testing Ethereum Consensus Specifications”.

The successful candidate will join the Department of Computer Science within the School of Engineering, working in the Systems and Software Security (S3) Research Group led by Dr. Lucas Cordeiro.

You will be responsible for:

• Extending ESBMC’s Python frontend to model check the Ethereum consensus specification’s reference implementation, including the fork choice component
• Designing new bounded model checking techniques for verifying safety and reachability properties without manual abstraction of the specification
• Building AI agents that translate specification clauses into formal properties and drive the verification engine’s search and triage of counterexamples
• Developing agentic workflows that use the verification engine to generate test suites traceable to individual specification clauses
• Writing scientific articles on the verification engine, agent design, and test generation results for security and software engineering venues

We welcome candidates who bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches to their work.

About You

We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. You should demonstrate:

Essential Criteria:

• PhD in computer science or a closely related field, in formal verification, software testing, programming languages, or AI agents
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++
• Knowledge of formal verification techniques such as model checking, SAT/SMT solving, or symbolic execution
• Experience building or applying AI agents, including LLM-based agents, for software engineering tasks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience with bounded model checkers such as ESBMC, CBMC, or similar tools
• Familiarity with the Ethereum consensus specification or blockchain protocols more broadly
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications in formal methods, software testing, or AI
• Experience with coverage-guided test generation or fuzzing
• Familiarity with Git-based version control and open-source software development

We value transferable skills and real-world experience as much as formal qualifications.

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer contribution pension
  • 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
  • Ride to work and EV car scheme available

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working arrangements.

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions.

Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews

Name: Lucas Cordeiro
Email Address: lucas.cordeiro@manchester.ac.uk 

General enquiries and administrative support

recruitmentservices.people@manchester.ac.uk 

Technical and job portal support

Jobtrain Client Support Hub

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

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