FBK is looking for a Software Developer for the Center for Cybersecurity; this position is part[...]

Background

Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) is a private research institution devoted to excellence in research in numerous disciplines and designated to the role of keeping the Autonomous Province of Trento in the mainstream of European and international research. Each research area is assigned to a specific research Centre, of which there are twelve totals. Information regarding the research Centres, their activities and production are available at

In particular, the Center for Cybersecurity of FBK (CS) develops digital technology and cyber security to foster collaboration between the various stakeholders through a combination of IT risk management techniques (in order to develop highly innovative security solutions that will mitigate vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of attacks) as well as trust management techniques (to improve the interaction between people and technology). As part of the FBK mission, which aims to achieve results of scientific excellence and to produce an impact on society, the Center’s mission is to make these techniques available to the largest number of organizations, including SMEs, which account for a substantial part of the EU economy but lack cybersecurity expertise. To this end, integrating automated cyber risk assessment support with trust management that will have the ability to produce operational suggestions to assist ICT solutions designers, developers and administrators in their daily activities is critical.

Workplace Description

The Security and Trust (ST) research Unit ( of the Center for Cyber Security aims to develop cutting‑edge security solutions for identity and access management, risk management, and legal compliance for data protection. The ST unit has been and is currently being involved in several research and innovation projects with partners from Academy, Public Administration, and Industry.

Background information and description of research projects

This position is offered within the IPCEI Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (CIS): 8ra and the FBK CAITE project.

The 8ra Initiative is a strategic European endeavour dedicated to create a resilient and scalable digital infrastructure tailored to Europe’s needs. At its core is the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI-CIS), bringing together 12 EU member states and about 120 industrial and research partners to drive Europe’s digital sovereignty. The main goal of IPCEI-CIS is to establish a “Multi‑Provider Cloud‑Edge Continuum” that operates independently of any single provider. This continuum embodies the seamless fusion of cloud and edge computing, enabling the flexible allocation of resources and applications between the cloud and the network edge. In 8RA, FBK is responsible for the project Cybersecurity & AI at the Edge (CAITE) whose aim is twofold. First, it aims to bring AI at the edge, by providing scalability and resource efficiency through the development of cooperative, distributed AI algorithms, optimising data, energy, and processing resources while adapting to the different computational environments and capabilities. Second, the project emphasises the creation of security, privacy‑enhancing, and trust‑aware services to ensure resilience and compliance in distributed AI‑enabled applications. Three research centres of FBK cooperate and develop CAITE: the Augmented Intelligence Center, the Center for Cybersecurity, and the Digital Society Center.

Job Description

ST researchers develop innovative tools for the automatic security testing, validation, and conformance assessment of Identity Management and authentication deployments. One such tool is Micro‑Id‑Gym (MIG), a security testing tool designed to support the automated analysis of authentication and authorization protocols, widely used in modern digital services and cloud‑based infrastructures.

MIG enables the systematic validation of Single Sign‑On (SSO) protocols and identity solutions, such as OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML, by combining automated testing, attack simulation, and conformance checks against technical standards and regulatory frameworks. MIG produces actionable and evidence‑based reports to assist developers and system administrators in identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance gaps, and in deploying secure and resilient identity infrastructures.

In the context of ongoing research and industrial projects, MIG is being extended to support continuous security testing, Zero‑Trust architectures, and compliance‑by‑design approaches, and to be integrated into DevSecOps framework and cloud‑native environments.

The ST research unit of FBK-CS is looking to hire a dynamic and highly motivated Software Developer & Technical Project Manager to support the aforementioned research activities. The selected candidate will contribute to research and development activities focused on the design and implementation of tools for automated security testing and validation of Identity Management protocols and deployments.

The successful candidate will contribute to the following tasks:

• Design of innovative security testing and conformance assessment tools to support developers, security analysts, and administrators in the secure deployment and operation of Identity Management solutions;
• Implementation and extension of MIG, combining state‑of‑the‑art research results, automated testing techniques, and regulatory requirements, with particular attention to usability, automation, and reproducibility of results;
• Execution and evaluation of security and conformance tests on scenarios involving SSO implementations and federated identity architectures;
• Support to technical project management activities, including coordination of development tasks, monitoring of progress against milestones, and alignment with project requirements and timelines.
• Interaction with technical IT staff of companies and organizations, providing technical support and guidance for the configuration, and effective use of MIG.

Depending on organisational needs, the selected candidate may also be involved in additional activities or projects within the Center.

Job Requirements

The ideal candidate must have the following requirements:

• Bachelor degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related disciplines;
• Experience in research support or development activities related to application‑level security, Identity Management, or authentication systems;
• Basic knowledge in the analysis of technical standards and specifications, including OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML, as well as regulatory frameworks such as NIS2 and DORA;
• Good programming skills in Python, as well as experience with Docker, Kubernetes, TypeScript, and React;
• Language assessment according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): level of knowledge required. Knowledge of English will be verified during the interview on a technical or scientific topic and must be equal to or exceed level B2. Definitions of levels can be found at the following link
• Ability to work both independently and in a team environment;
• Team‑oriented mindset, good communication and interpersonal skills;
• Strong orientation to results, flexibility, and problem‑solving attitude.

Furthermore, the following elements will be positively evaluated:

• Master degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fields
• Experience in the use or development of security testing, penetration testing, or compliance tools;
• Knowledge of web application security and federated authentication mechanisms;
• Knowledge of Large Language Models applied to security testing or automation tasks;
• Knowledge of both written and spoken Italian.

Employment

Type of contract: fixed‑term contract
Working hours: full‑time (38 h per week)
Start date: Preferably April 2026
Duration: 12 months, with the possibility of extending the contract depending on funding
Contract type: CCPL Research Foundation Personnel ( for a Fourth or Third‑level Technician, the current gross annual remuneration ranges from 29.873,76 Euro to 35.205,36 Euro, depending on background and expertise in the field
Benefits: flexi‑time, company subsidised cafeteria or meal vouchers, internal car park, welcome office support for visa formalities and for research in accommodation, supplementary pension (Resaver, Laborfonds) and health fund (Sanifonds), family‑work balance, free training courses, support on bank account opening, discount on public transport, sport, language course fees, counseling and psychological support service. More info at

Application

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application by completing the online form ( Please make sure that your application contains the following attachments (in pdf format):

• detailed CV;
• cover letter indicating why the candidate is suitable for this position.

FBK is looking for a Software Developer for the Center for Cybersecurity. This position is partially funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan PNRR • Trento, Trento, IT

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