Closing Date: 16/05/2024

The Cyprus lnstitute (Cyl) is a non-profit science and technology educational and research institution based in Cyprus and led by an acclaimed Board of Trustees. The research agenda of Cyl falls within the following four research centers: The Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center (CaSToRC); the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC); the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC); and the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C). Considerable cross-center interaction is a characteristic feature of the lnstitute's culture.

Amongst other research areas, CaSToRC pursues research in Quantum Computing, an emergent new computing methodology that is pursued by computational centres worldwide offering completely new avenues in computing. Quantum Computing will add a new component to computing in general and even to High-Performance Computing, with the potential to solve problems that are classically very hard or even impossible to address or lead to more efficient solutions than otherwise possible with current classical algorithms. This will be of benefit to all research fields in computational science, including research in fundamental science, such as models in high energy and condensed matter physics, but also in pharmaceutical and health care and life science research e.g. drug design. In addition, quantum computing is being applied for optimization problems including e.g. bus routing or energy networks, large-scale machine learning, and cybersecurity aligning with the missions of the Institute within the context of the Resilience Plan of the government.

CyI invites applications for highly motivated and qualified researchers ideally with a background in quantum computing to join the Institute at the position of Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Quantum Computing at CaSToRC. The successful candidates will contribute to the research activities of the recently EU-funded ERA Chair QUEST (QUantum computing for Excellence in Science and Technology) project. QUEST (https://quest.cyi.ac.cy/) aims to create a research group in Quantum Computing under the leadership of the ERA chairholder, Prof Karl Jansen which will allow Cyprus to take advantage of opportunities in Quantum Computing at the European level, such as by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the quantum technologies flagship program, which is presently not being fully exploited.

The appointment will be on a full-time basis for a period of 3 years. Post-Doctoral Fellowships can be renewed depending to performance and availability of funds for a fixed-term period. An internationally competitive remuneration package will be offered, according to the level of experience of the successful candidate.

Responsibilities/activities to be involved in:

1. Quantum computing algorithms, in particular in variational quantum algorithms and/or quantum machine learning
2. Quantum computing for models in high energy and condensed matter physics
3. Benchmarking of quantum computing hardware
4. Application to optimization problems
5. Research background in basic science fields, preferably in Quantum information, Physics, computer science or Mathematics

Required Qualifications

1. PhD in Quantum Information, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics or any relevant subject (The candidate must hold a PhD degree from a recognized higher education institution before the deadline of the opening. Candidates who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply provided that they can document their successful defense of the thesis)
2. Strong academic record
3. Presentations at international meetings and conferences
4. Demonstrated publication record
5. Experience in quantum computing
6. Good knowledge of quantum computing algorithms, simulations and devices
7. Any relevant experience following the PhD degree completion will be considered as an advantage
8. Excellent knowledge of the English language, both verbal and writing
9. Demonstrated development ability, outstanding organizational, analytical, problem solving and communication skills
10. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to adapt to a multicultural/multinational environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of programming languages, such as C, C++, Julia or Python
• Knowledge of Qiskit, Pennylane or similar programming languages

Application

For full consideration, interested applicants should process their application at The Cyprus Institute Exelsys Platform (https://bit.ly/3HDLRTw) based on the instructions given. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae including a short letter of interest, list of publications and a list of three (3) referees (including contact information) (all documentation should be in English and in PDF Format). For further information, please contact Dr Stella Manoli (s.manoli@cyi.ac.cy). Please note that applications which do not fulfill the required qualifications and do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered.

Recruitment will continue until the position is filled.

The Cyprus Institute is an Equal Opportunities Employer certified from the Cypriot Ministry of Labor and also an HRS4R accredited Institution that adheres to the European Commission’s “Charter & Code” principles for recruitment and selection.

Contact person: Stella Manoli

Reference number: CaSToRC_PDF_24_08