Research Associate - School of Computer Science - S3D

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

The Software and Societal Systems Department (S3D), in the School of Computer Science (SCS) at Carnegie Mellon University has two part-time research associate openings to work on an interdisciplinary project focused on an interdisciplinary project focused on modeling and mitigating risks introduced by agentic AI in the enterprise. This opening can be a particularly good match for a motivated person with training in Responsible AI, AI Governance, Cybersecurity and Privacy, including experience with Agentic AI technologies.

Agentic AI systems—capable of autonomous task execution, decision-making, and multi-step planning—are rapidly being integrated into workplace environments. These systems can schedule meetings, interact with email and web services, generate reports, access internal systems, and coordinate across third-party tools, effectively acting as semi-autonomous digital employees.  While these capabilities offer significant productivity gains, they also introduce fundamentally new categories of risk that extend beyond traditional model-level concerns. In particular, agentic AI expands the risk surface from isolated model behavior to complex, system-level interactions involving tools, data, users, and external services.

This project focuses on two central research questions:

• How does agentic AI—particularly autonomy, tool use, and multi-step planning—reshape traditional cybersecurity and privacy threat models in enterprise environments?
• What technical and governance mechanisms (e.g., permissioning, monitoring, sandboxing, policy enforcement) are most effective in mitigating these risks while ensuring meaningful human oversight and control?

Core Responsibilities

• Will combine the development of threat and failure taxonomies for agentic AI in the enterprise
• Development and simulation of synthetic workflows
• Failure mode analysis
• Development and evaluation of mitigation strategies
• Identification/development of relevant metrics. The objective is to develop a framework that can provide actionable guidance to enterprises.
• Capable of working under limited supervision

Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University.  We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science required. Master’s degree in computer science preferred.
• 1-3 years of research experience required.
• Strong background in Privacy and Security
• Strong organization and communication skills necessary.
• Experience with Responsible AI, including Agentic Technology.
• Experience in HCI and/or threat modeling would be a plus.
• Experience collaborating with others in the context of research projects.
• A combination of education and proven experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements:

• Successful completion of a pre-employment background check

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.

Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed