Introduction

Are you passionate about engaging students in fundamental research and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers? Are you a strong organizer, and also an experienced education practitioner, or researcher? CERN, take part!

CERN offers an exciting opportunity to develop and run hands-on and minds-on laboratory-based programmes for students in its major new project, Science Gateway.

You will join the International Relations Sector (IR), Education, Communications and Outreach Group (ECO) that is responsible for maintaining support for CERN's mission from all its stakeholders, generating public engagement with CERN’s activities and with fundamental research, fostering community-building and raising awareness of CERN’s societal impact. The group is composed of professionals covering all its activities: writers, media officers, graphic and web designers, social media specialists, education specialists, exhibition developers, photographers and video editors, event organizers.

Within the ECO group, the Teacher and Student Programmes section (ECO-TSP) runs a broad portfolio of programmes for teachers and school students, as well as carrying out Physics Education Research (PER) at CERN in support of the delivery of the programmes.

This position is for developing, implementing, and subsequently coordinating both the content and the equipment of the Science Education Labs in CERN’s Science Gateway, planned to open at the end of 2022. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the ECO-TSP section leader and the CERN Science Gateway team in the development and running of the ~500 m² laboratories.

Functions

As Education Laboratory Coordinator, you will:

• Contribute to the development of the equipment of the Science Education Labs (defining and procuring furniture, technical equipment and material).
• Coordinate the implementation of the labs, together with the other areas in Science Gateway, to ensure a holistic visitor experience.
• Develop educational content for the labs, following the principles of Design Based Research.
• Manage the annual programming and delivery of educational programmes in the Science Gateway education labs.
• Deliver the educational programmes for visiting students in the labs.
• Foster and manage relationships with CERN scientists and staff who participate in the programmes and in other initiatives.
• Develop partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in support of the programme.
• Develop an evaluation framework for the programmes, which will include formative and summative evaluation.
• Proactively raise awareness of the programme within CERN and at the local, national and international levels.
• Co-supervise PER researchers in the team, specifically on projects relating to hands-on activities.
• Follow developments in Physics Education Research and contribute to the team’s research effort, as appropriate.

Master's degree or PhD or equivalent relevant experience in the field of in science education with a specialization in out-of-school learning places or science labs.

Experience:

The experience required for this post is:

• Demonstrated experience in the organisation of hands-on, experiment-based programmes for school students.
• Extensive experience in communicating physics (or other natural sciences) to teachers and students.
• Demonstrated experience in the evaluation of teacher and student programmes.
• Experience in the field of physics education research.

Technical competencies:

• Project management.
• Education research.
• Teaching and training.
• Team management.
• Process analysis, definition and improvement.

Behavioural competencies:

• Demonstrating accountability: taking responsibility for own actions and decisions Working conscientiously and reliably; delivering on promises.
• Achieving results: delivering high-quality work on time and fulfilling expectations Having a structured and organised approach towards work; being able to set priorities and plan tasks with results in mind.
• Communicating effectively: expressing opinions, ideas and suggestions with conviction and in a logical/structured manner; keeping to the point Delivering presentations in a structured and clear way; adjusting style and content to the audience; responding calmly and confidently to questions.
• Solving problems: identifying, defining and assessing problems, taking action to address them Assimilating large quantities of information, identifying key issues and formulating conclusions clearly and concisely.
• Working in teams: building and maintaining constructive and effective work relationships Understanding when teamwork is required to achieve the best results; including others accordingly and sharing information.

Language skills:

Spoken and written English and French: the ability to understand and speak both languages in professional contexts as well as the ability to draft texts for publications and/ or official communications and to make oral presentations in at least one of these languages.

Eligibility and closing date:

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. We welcome applications from all Member States and Associate Member States.

This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should normally reach us no later than 06.05.2020.

Employment Conditions

Contract type: Limited duration contract (5 years). Subject to certain conditions, holders of limited-duration contracts may apply for an indefinite position.

These functions require:

• Work in Radiation Areas.
• Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.
• Shift work, when required by the needs of the Organization.
• Stand-by duty, when required by the needs of the Organization.

Job grade: 6-7

Job reference: IR-ECO-TSP-2020-59-LD

Benchmark Job Title: Communications/Public Relations /External Relations Professional

Please make sure you have all the documents needed to hand as you start your application, as once it is submitted, you will not be able to upload any documents or edit your application further