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.

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization.

Are you a technician looking for a challenging professional experience to further your career?  If so, joining CERN’s TTE programme may very well give you that challenge. This position as a Electronics/Automation Technician is part of our prestigious TTE programme. 

CERN’s Accelerator Beam Transfer group (ABT) is mandated to ensure the maintenance and consolidation of low-level equipment control systems based on industrial off-the-shelf components across the whole CERN accelerator complex.

A large set of these systems are based on industrial PLC and embedded electronics which requires to be maintained and improved upon. During the forthcoming 2 years, all accelerators and pre-injectors will be halted and the ABT group wants to integrate a junior automation technician in their control team to participate in new challenges concerning various and important maintenance activities.

Objectives of the traineeship are to study the consolidation of existing control systems, to migrate them to the latest version of the software development frameworks, to implement new features as specified by ABT experts, and to participate actively towards the installation, test and commissioning of the new systems.

You will integrate the ABT Electronics and Controls section and will collaborate closely with various experts of the ABT group as well as CERN beam control and operation groups. He/She will also be stimulated in proposing new ideas or technologies, make changes towards the current software/hardware architectures and introduce new features in the expert software suite.

Functions

• Develop PLC software for automation systems following the technical specifications defined by project engineers,
• Design, produce and test various electrical crates and electronic modules including validation of test-benches,
• Provide support in the maintenance activities and for the operational systems under ABT responsibility,
• Participate in the commissioning with acceptance test for new operational low-level control systems.

In order to qualify for this place on the programme you will need to meet the following requirements:

• You are a national of a CERN Member State or Associate Member State (https://home.cern/about/member-states);
• You have a Technical Diploma in mechanical engineering or equivalent (careers.cern/ttediplomas), and no more than 4 years' relevant experience after finishing your diploma;
• If you are currently studying, you are still eligible to apply, although you are expected to have obtained your qualification by the start of your appointment at CERN;
• If you hold a BSc or MSc, you are not eligible. However, you may be eligible for the Fellowship Programme.
• You should have at least a working knowledge of English or French.

CERN would very much like to benefit from your expertise, commitment and passion.  In return, CERN will provide you with:

• An employment contract of one year, renewable for a second year; 
• On-the-job and formal training at CERN as well as in-house language courses for English and/or French;
• A take home pay of approximately 3,540 CHF 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: an installation grant, family, child and infant allowances as well as travel expenses to and from Geneva;
• 2,5 days of paid leave per month.

You will also acquire knowledge in the following areas:

• You will work on STEP7 and TIA Portal software development framework in collaboration and under the supervision of an experienced PLC developer and will acquire relevant advanced experience in the exploitation of these software packages.
• You will also acquire experience in the control and diagnosis of fast pulsed systems in a complex control environment and will be involved in installing and commissioning of complex low-level control system.
• In addition, you will acquire autonomy in the development and use of tools to analyse and draw conclusions on the performance of the system on which he/she is working and will have the opportunity to propose new ideas.

This is how you can apply:

You will need the following documents to complete your application:

• A scanned copy of your latest relevant qualification;
• At least one reference letter (from a professor or previous employer) giving an overview of your academic and/or professional achievements. This should be as broad as possible.
  • You can upload these letters at the time of application if you have them to hand. You will also be provided with a link as soon as you have submitted your application to forward to your referees to upload their letters confidentially. Please note this must be done before the closing date.

All applications should normally reach us no later than 31.08.2018.

Please make sure you have all the documents requested to hand as you start your application. Once submitted you will not be able to upload any documents or edit your application.