Experienced Project Assistant (ATS-DO-2026-162-GRAP)

Job Description

You will join the Accelerator and Technology Sector (ATS) which comprises four departments - Beams, Engineering, Accelerator Systems, and Technology - responsible for the Sector's main technical activities. The ATS Directorate Office (ATS-DO Unit) is home to the Project Office, the main project teams, and a number of sector-wide transversal activities.

The Project Office is seeking a Project Assistant with prior experience in large-scale scientific international projects, to join its dynamic team and provide key support to the HL-LHC Project, European projects, the ATS Specification Committee and other strategic projects and studies.

Your responsibilities:

• Lead the coordination and delivery of complex European and strategic projects, ensuring effective planning, stakeholder engagement, milestone tracking, risk management, documentation, reporting, and the timely completion of project deliverables.
• Manage the end-to-end ATS Specification Committee technical review process, coordinating multidisciplinary stakeholders, overseeing workflows and schedules, ensuring compliance with procurement and audit requirements, and driving the timely execution of actions, deliverables, KPIs, and reporting.
• Drive project governance and performance monitoring by maintaining project plans, tracking progress against objectives, consolidating status reports, managing documentation and repositories (EDMS, CERNBox, JIRA), and proactively resolving issues that may impact schedules or deliverables.
• Plan and coordinate workshops, technical reviews, and large-scale project events, managing logistics, stakeholder engagement, documentation, follow-up actions, and decision tracking to support successful project outcomes.
• Coordinate communication and outreach activities for major projects and studies, developing communication plans, aligning stakeholders, supporting change management efforts, and ensuring clear, consistent messaging across CERN departments and external partners.

Your profile:

• Demonstrated experience in the planning, coordination and delivery of workshops, meetings, reviews or other large-scale events.
• Experience working in an international and multicultural environment.
• Experience in a scientific, technical, engineering or project-based environment, with the ability to understand and support complex technical activities.

Skills:

• Strong organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work autonomously and contribute effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Proactive, service-oriented and solution-driven approach, with excellent communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to interact effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Ability and willingness to engage with technical topics and rapidly acquire knowledge of project-related matters to support project leaders, coordinators and committee Chairs.
• Strong attention to detail, combined with flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
•  Proficiency in standard office software and collaborative digital tools.
• 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 Administration, Event Management (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: 01.11.2026 at 23:59 CET.

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

Job reference: ATS-DO-2026-162-GRAP

Field of work: Administration

Benchmark job: 5A0010 - Business Process Analyst

Global Benefits

• A monthly net stipend of either 6372 or 7004 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.

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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!

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