Job Description
Your responsibilities
As an Electrical Engineer, you will join the Engineering Department (EN), specifically within the EN-AA-CSE team to work on the new Einstein Telescope project, where CERN participates to the design of the technical infrastructure. The Einstein Telescope (ET) is a proposed underground facility for a third-generation gravitational-wave observatory. Building on the success of Advanced Virgo and Advanced LIGO, which detected merging black holes and neutron stars, ET will have much higher sensitivity. ET will enable exploration of the Universe's gravitational waves back to the cosmological dark ages, offering insights into fundamental physics and cosmology.
The CERN Access and Alarms group (EN-AA) is tasked to contribute in the analysis and design of any necessary personnel protection systems in this new facility, which will contain several high-intensity lasers with the supporting technical infrastructure including high-power electrical and cryogenic systems situated in underground galleries and tunnels several kilometres long.
After an initial learning period, you will participate in the process of risk assessment of the various hazards to personnel that the new facility may present and the consequent design of the preventive and mitigative barriers necessary to alleviate the effects of those hazards. The required safety systems in question will range from access control and safety interlock systems designed following the principles of functional safety (IEC 61508/61511) as well as laser, electrical, gas, and fire protection systems.
The role includes technical and organisational tasks:
- Identify needs and requirements from future users of the facility.
- Carry out risk analysis in collaboration with the safety experts of the other participating institutes.
- Design engineering: design of low-voltage and very-low-voltage electrical safety systems (analogue/digital).
- Preparation of technical studies, cost estimations, project documents, and review of documents prepared by contractors / other collaborating groups.
- Development of quality plans and documents.
- Follow up on schedule (milestone planning), including participation to project and coordination meetings.
- Participation in the personnel protection oriented activities of EN-AA for the purposes of learning about the particularities of these kinds of installations.
Your profile
Skills:
- Previous professional experience in the electrical domain.
- Experience in functional safety following IEC 61508/61511 norms.
- Knowledge of mechanical/electrical CAD software packages would be an advantage.
- Initial experience in fire protection, gas protection, and laser installations would be an advantage.
- Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.
Eligibility criteria:
- You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
- You have a professional background in Electrical Engineering (or a related field) and have either:
- a Master's degree with 2 to 6 years of post-graduation professional experience;
- or a PhD with no more than 3 years of post-graduation professional experience.
- You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
Additional Information
Job closing date: 29.07.2025 at 23:59 CEST.
Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 30 months maximum.
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Target start date: 01-September/October-2025
This position involves:
- Work in Radiation Areas.
- Interventions in underground installations.
- A valid driving licence.
Job reference: EN-AA-CSE-2025-112-GRAP
Field of work: Electrical or Electronics Engineering
What we offer
- A monthly stipend ranging between 6287 and 6911 Swiss Francs per month (net of tax).
- Coverage by CERN's comprehensive health scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund.
- Depending on your individual circumstances: installation grant; family, child and infant allowances; payment of travel expenses at the beginning and end of contract.
- 30 days of paid leave per year.
- On-the-job and formal training at CERN as well as in-house language courses for English and/or French.
About us
At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. Using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic constituents of matter - fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Find out more on http://home.cern.
We are on a Quest. A Journey into discovery like no other. Bring your expertise to our unique work and develop your knowledge and skills at pace. Join world-class subject matter experts on unique projects, in a Quest for greater knowledge and deeper understanding.
Begin your CERN Quest. Take Part!
Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization. Employing a diverse workforce is central to our success.
