Systems & Security Research Engineer
– EU-Funded Horizon Europe Project –

Duration: 36 months, with the possibility of extension

Mulini is looking for a motivated Systems & Security Research Engineer to join its research team and contribute to REAL-PETS – Empirical Detection Methods and Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for Real-World Tracking, a 36-month Horizon Europe research and innovation project.

The successful candidate will work at the intersection of systems engineering, cybersecurity, privacy-enhancing technologies, network measurement and applied artificial intelligence.

This position offers the opportunity to conduct high-impact research within an international European consortium and to contribute to the development, implementation and real-world validation of technologies designed to protect users against emerging forms of online and cross-platform tracking.

About REAL-PETS

Online tracking is no longer limited to conventional web cookies. Tracking techniques increasingly operate across websites, mobile applications, connected devices, smart TVs, wearables and other digital environments.

REAL-PETS investigates how these tracking mechanisms work in practice and develops scalable, usable and interoperable Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) capable of protecting users across different platforms.

The project combines:

- Empirical detection of emerging and cookie-less tracking techniques
- Cross-platform privacy and network measurements
- Automated analysis of web, mobile and IoT systems
- Privacy-preserving analytics and telemetry
- Adaptive traffic-obfuscation and “smart-noise” mechanisms
- Anonymous credentials and privacy-preserving identity solutions
- Post-quantum-ready security technologies
- Legal, ethical and GDPR compliance analysis
- Human-centred design and usability research
- Real-world pilots involving privacy technology providers

The project will study both current and emerging digital ecosystems, including web browsers, mobile applications, IoT devices, smart TVs, wearables, VPN services and other interconnected platforms.

Your Research at Mulini

Mulini leads research activities related to the development of adaptable, usable and interoperable privacy-enhancing technologies and contributes to the project’s technical detection, analysis and validation work.

As part of the Mulini research team, you may contribute to:

- Designing systems for detecting privacy and security threats across IoT, web and mobile environments
- Performing large-scale network measurements and controlled experiments
- Analysing network traffic, software behaviour and device communications
- Developing privacy-preserving telemetry and automated device-testing solutions
- Integrating machine-learning models into scalable research and production pipelines
- Identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in systems, infrastructure and AI-based components
- Designing and evaluating privacy-enhancing technologies under realistic operating conditions
- Supporting technical integration across project tools, prototypes and testbeds
- Contributing to real-world pilots and experimental validation activities
- Preparing scientific publications, project deliverables, technical reports and demonstrations





Mulini’s experimental infrastructure includes connected devices, mobile platforms and IoT testing environments that can be used for repeatable measurement campaigns, security assessments and validation of the technologies developed during the project.//mulini.eu/project/

The European Consortium

REAL-PETS brings together universities, research organisations and technology companies from six European countries:

- TECHNIKON Forschungs– und Planungsgesellschaft mbH – Austria
- Project coordinator, responsible for project management, communication and dissemination.C
- IMDEA Networks Institute – Spain

Technical coordinator, leading privacy-threat detection, modelling and technical integration.

- Radboud University – The Netherlands

Responsible for legal, ethical and regulatory research, including GDPR compliance and user-centred evaluation.Leading usability, user-experience research and the evaluation of privacy-enhancing technologies with users.Contributing expertise in IoT security, automated device testing, privacy-preserving telemetry, measurement campaigns and interoperable PETs.Leading cross-platform privacy analysis and scalable detection across web and mobile environments.Contributing expertise in mobile application analysis, privacy auditing, regulatory compliance and mobile-web tracking detection.Leading research on network-level privacy technologies, traffic obfuscation, mix networks, anonymous credentials and adaptive noise mechanisms.Associated partner supporting operational pilots and real-world validation of browser and VPN privacy technologies.Working within this consortium will give the selected researcher the opportunity to collaborate with experts in systems security, privacy engineering, internet measurement, usable privacy, law and regulatory compliance.

- Karlstad University – Sweden
- Mulini Srl – Italy
- Universidad Carlos III de Madrid – Spain
- AppCensus Europe – Spain
- Nym Technologies – Switzerland
- Mullvad VPN – Sweden

International Collaboration and Travel

The position is primarily remote, but international collaboration is an important part of the project.

Depending on project needs, the selected researcher may travel within Europe to participate in:

- Consortium and General Assembly meetings
- European Commission or project review meetings
- Technical workshops and integration activities
- Pilot and validation activities
- Meetings hosted by project partners
- Scientific conferences and academic workshops
- Dissemination and stakeholder-engagement events

Potential destinations may include the countries in which the project partners are based, although the exact schedule and locations will depend on project milestones and event calendars.

Travel connected to approved project activities will be supported in accordance with Mulini’s travel policy and the applicable project rules.





The researcher will also be encouraged to present results at leading international venues in cybersecurity, privacy and human-computer interaction.

Responsibilities

- Conduct applied research in systems security, privacy and network measurement
- Design and implement scalable security and privacy technologies
- Develop research prototypes and experimental platforms
- Integrate AI and machine-learning models into reliable systems
- Identify, analyse and mitigate vulnerabilities in systems and data-processing pipelines
- Conduct experiments involving web, mobile, IoT and networked environments
- Collaborate with researchers, engineers and legal and usability experts across the consortium
- Contribute to European project deliverables, milestones and technical demonstrations
- Publish research findings and present results to scientific and project stakeholders
- Support dissemination activities, workshops, pilots and project reviews

Requirements

- EU Citizenship/EU Permanent Residency
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, Telecommunications or a related field
- Solid understanding of computer networks, operating systems and security principles
- Programming experience in Python and at least one systems-oriented language such as C, C++, Rust or Go
- Ability to design, implement and evaluate technical solutions
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently in a remote and international environment
- Excellent written and spoken English
- EU citizenship or EU permanent residency

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be considered an advantage:

- Hands-on experience with applied ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX)

What We Offer

- A 36-month remote research position, with the possibility of extension
- Starting salary of €45,000 or above, depending on experience and qualifications
- The opportunity to work on a funded Horizon Europe research project
- Collaboration with leading European universities, research institutes and technology companies
- Access to experimental IoT and network-security infrastructure
- Support for approved travel, conference participation and scientific publications
- Flexible working arrangements
- A multidisciplinary and intellectually stimulating research environment
- Opportunities to develop an international research profile and professional network

How to Apply

Applications will be considered only if submitted through the official application form available on this page.

Applications sent by email, LinkedIn or through other channels will not be considered.

Please submit your application by 15 October 2026.

Mulini is committed to creating an inclusive working environment and welcomes applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

REAL-PETS – Empirical Detection Methods and Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for Real-World Tracking – is funded under the Horizon Europe programme, Grant Agreement No. 101309318.

Job Type: Contract
Contract length: 36 months

Pay: €45,000.00 per year

Education:

- Master's (Preferred)

Language:

- English (Required)

Work Location: Remote

📌 Systems & Security Research Engineer (Italia)
🏢 Mulini
📍 Italia