PhD: "AI for Automotive Cybersecurity"

Ever wondered what it’s like to work for an international company like SEAT & CUPRA? 🚀

If you are looking to take the next step in your professional career, our recent Industrial PhD project in collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya might be exactly what you’re looking for. Focusing on elevating cybersecurity in software-defined vehicles, this project is part of the digital transformation of the company.

About the Project:

The automotive industry is entering a new era defined by connectivity and autonomous driving. Modern vehicles rely on highly interconnected electronic systems where software drives functionalities. This growing connectivity creates new attack surfaces that must be identified, assessed and mitigated before they can be exploited.

To address this challenge, we are launching an ambitious PhD project focused on developing an advanced AI-assisted offensive security framework tailored specifically to the complexity of automotive electronic architectures.

The aim of this PhD is to develop an advanced AI-based framework capable of:

• Simulating complex cyberattack scenarios
• Anticipating emerging threats
• Automating and scaling penetration testing
• Enhancing proactive security in automotive systems
• The project contributes to improving:
• Vehicle safety and user data protection
• Regulatory compliance (e.g. UNECE cybersecurity standards)
• Internal cybersecurity capabilities

What do we offer?

• Possibility to carry out a strategic and research project
• Access to a leading company in the automotive sector
• Be part of the Doctorate collective of the company
• Full-time 8:00h-16.35h(flexible schedule)
• Temporary contract for 3 years

Required Qualifications:

• Degree in Computer Engineering, Telecommunications or Artificial Intelligence and Master’s degree in Cybersecurity.
• Average score higher than 6.5.
• Advanced Spanish and English.

Valuable Experience

• Penetration testing methodologies,
• Vulnerability assessment and threat analysis,
• Cybersecurity risk methodologies.

Key Competencies

• Analytical and critical thinking
• Strong research mindset
• Problem-solving skills
• Autonomy and responsibility
• Ability to explain technical concepts clearly

At SEAT, we firmly believe in the power of diversity and inclusion as fundamental pillars of our culture, where everyone can be authentically free and freely authentic. We work with passion to create an environment in which every voice is heard and valued, ensuring equal opportunities for all people, regardless of sexual characteristics, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, cultural identity, age, beliefs, or any other form of diversity.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is a priority that we hold ourselves accountable for every single day.

Join us and become part of our team!