Controls and Automation Engineer (EN-CV-CL-2026-205-GRAE)

Job Description

Join the Cooling and Ventilation developers team within CERN's Engineering Department (EN), where you will contribute to the development, commissioning, and maintenance of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and automation solutions essential to the operation of CERN's accelerators, detectors, and infrastructure.

As part of a multidisciplinary team of technicians and engineers, you will be involved in the specification, design, commissioning, and maintenance of a wide range of ICS dedicated to cooling and ventilation plants for accelerator facilities, experimental areas, and technical infrastructure.

In this role, you will become familiar with CERN's modern UNICOS framework, used for:

• Developing Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) applications on Schneider and Siemens platforms.
• Configuring and maintaining Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for Cooling and Ventilation ICS.

This position offers the opportunity to work on large-scale industrial installations in a highly technical and collaborative environment.

Your responsibilities:

• Gather control system requirements and compile all relevant technical documentation.
• Design automation solutions and control systems for Industrial ventilation and cooling plants.
• Develop and implement PLC applications for ICS.
• Define and execute tests of ICS on simulators.
• Perform on-site commissioning of ICS.
• Design, implement, and deploy improvements and corrective actions for operational control systems.

Your profile:

• Proven experience in Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming.
• Good knowledge of PLC development based on the IEC 61131 standard.
• Initial experience in Python programming or other high-level programming languages.
• Ability to read and work with electrical schematics.
• Initial experience in the configuration, programming, and operation of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems.
• Understanding of industrial automation principles and control systems.

The following would be considered an advantage:

• Experience with SCADA systems in an industrial environment.
• Knowledge of automation theory and industrial process control.

Skills:

• PLC programming using SIEMENS Step7, TIA Portal and/or Schneider Control Expert.
• High-level programming languages (e.g. python).
• Version control software systems (e.g. git).
• Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• By the application deadline, you have a maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation in Automation and Controls (or a related field) and your highest educational qualification is either a Bachelor's or Master's degree.
• You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
• Applicants without University degree are not eligible.
• Applicants with a PhD are not eligible.

Additional Information

Job closing date: 24.09.2026 at 23:59 CEST.

Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum.

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Job flexibility: Fully Onsite

Target start date: 01-January-2027

This position involves:

• Work in Radiation Areas.
• Interventions in underground installations.
• A valid driving licence.

Job reference: EN-CV-CL-2026-205-GRAE

Field of work: Electrical or Electronics Engineering

Benchmark job: 200020 - Computing Engineer

Global Benefits

• A monthly net stipend of either 5266 or 5793 Swiss Francs per month depending on your degree.
• 30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks annual closure.
• Coverage by CERN’s comprehensive health insurance scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund.
• Family, child and infant monthly allowances depending on your individual circumstances.
• A relocation package (installation grant and travel expenses) depending on your individual circumstances.
• Possibility to extend your contract up to 36 months.
• On-the-job and formal training including language classes.

Overview of CERN - Discover a world where the impossible is made possible!

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, we are pushing the frontiers of science and technology. Our groundbreaking work brings together not only physicists but also a diverse range of professionals from engineering, technical, scientific, and administrative fields. Together, we foster an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive.

Every day, we face exciting new challenges and opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research that shapes our understanding of the universe. We meet these challenges through the diverse perspectives within our teams, ensuring every contribution is valued and driving our shared sense of inclusion and purpose. Diversity is a core value of CERN since its foundation, and it remains central to our mission and continued success.

If you are ready to be part of a dynamic, inclusive community pushing the boundaries of knowledge, CERN is the place where your curiosity and skills can thrive. Be part of our mission to uncover what lies at the heart of the universe! TAKE PART!

More information about us, here: careers.cern