Develop methods to train fraud detection systems to be resilient to adversarial attacks across various domains, from banking to international shipping.

Job Description
Fraud detection systems have become critical for the correct functioning of businesses and governments. A fraud detector is a system designed to detect unusual patterns in data that point to criminal activities. Classic examples of fraud detectors are malicious spam detectors and intrusion detection systems. When such systems are designed, it is commonly assumed that the attacker is unaware of the presence of a fraud detector and, hence, the system is free from any manipulation. Nevertheless, it has been shown that fraud detectors are easily fooled by adversarial attacks, leaving businesses and governments potentially vulnerable to fraud.

In this project, you will study adversarial attacks and assess their impact on the performance of fraud detectors. The project aims to:

• Develop new adversarial attacks on existing fraud detectors to study their weaknesses.
• Develop new adversarial training methods to make fraud detectors more resilient to attacks during training.
• Develop new methods to detect and prevent adversarial attacks on fraud detectors after they have been trained.

The methods and attacks you develop will be tested in various fraud detection applications, including the detection of stock price manipulation, credit card fraud, financial statement manipulation, and customs fraud. You also have the freedom to focus on fraud detection applications of your interest that are relevant to society.

Requirements
The candidate should:

• Hold a Master's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, or another domain with a strong computational and mathematical background.
• Have strong programming skills.
• Have a passion for interdisciplinary research.
• Be motivated to work independently and within a team.
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

Prior experience with machine learning, fraud detection, and adversarial training methods would be advantageous.

What we offer
As a PhD candidate at the School of Business and Economics, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2872,00 in the first year and €3670,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 18 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 2.5 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

The School of Business and Economics
The School of Business and Economics (SBE) is one of Maastricht University’s six faculties. Our mission is to contribute to a better world by addressing societal problems, by co-creating knowledge and developing team players and leaders for the future.

By joining SBE, you will be part of the 1% of business schools worldwide to be Triple Crown accredited (EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA). You will join an inspiring and international environment, where learning and development is priority.

Department
The department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation (DAD) connects data science (mathematics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence) with business and economics research (finance, accounting, marketing, information management, operations, micro- and macroeconomics, policy design). We are responsible for conducting top-level research in data science for business and economics ranging from fundamental theoretical studies to applied industrial projects.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact dr. R. Triepels at r.triepels@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD candidate? Apply now, no later than 29 August 2024, for this position.

Please upload your CV, motivation letter, grade list, and contact information of 2 referees.

The first interviews preferably take place on the 2nd of September 2024. The second interviews will preferably be held on the 6th of September 2024.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.