Job Description

Your responsibilities

Are you passionate about engaging students in science and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers?

Would you like to become a crucial part of a physics outreach project? Do you have a solid background in experimental physics, computer science, or electronics?

Join the CERN Education team as a support scientist for the Beamline for Schools (BL4S) competition and as an Educator at CERN Science Gateway’s new accelerator ELISA at the same time (time sharing between both activities)!

CERN has an opening for a Project Graduate in the Teacher & Student Programmes (TSP) Section in the Education, Communication and Outreach (ECO) group in the International Relations (IR) sector.

We are looking for a support scientist for the BL4S competition (more info here: https://cern.ch/bl4s). The successful candidate will be integrated in the Beamline for Schools team and will work together with the project manager, the technical coordinator and other supporters from CERN and DESY.

The main role of the BL4S support scientist is assisting the winning teams when planning, preparing and executing their experiments.

The overall tasks include:

• Answering technical questions from teams interested in preparing a proposal for the competition and taking part in the selection process that leads to the nomination of the winners.
• Turning the proposals of the winning teams into experiments that can be executed within the constraints of the beamline, detectors, and devices available for BL4S.
• Training the winners (once they are on-site at CERN) on how to run the experiment as well as helping the winners with the analysis and interpretation of their data and the writing of a report, paper or article.

The winning teams usually stay at CERN for two weeks in September/October. The support scientists will be fully responsible for the execution of their experiments. In particular, the tasks to prepare the experiments and ensure a smooth run include:

• Setting up of the TDAQ system of the experiments based on the software that has been developed for BL4S and, if needed, developing compatible additional S/W, as well as developing code for the data analysis (typically in Root, C or Python).
• Testing and calibrating the detectors, integrating the detectors with the S/W, and testing the overall system, installing the detectors, electronics, and computers in the beamline, debugging and commissioning the system.

The CERN Science Gateway (https://sciencegateway.cern/) is a new education and outreach facility with the aim to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the discoveries, the science and the technologies of CERN.

ELISA is a proton accelerator with a final energy of 2 MeV and capable of producing a current of up to 50 nA. It is installed at the CERN Science Gateway and is used for demonstrations for the public with a real proton beam and for surface analyses in the context of scientific collaborations.

The candidate will be involved in the development of the accelerator for physics demonstrations and for surface analysis.

As an ELISA Educator you will participate in:

• Studies and tests of new experiments involving the use of gas flows, magnets or different detectors used to illustrate physical phenomena.
• Developments of surface analysis methods (PIXE, RBS or PIGE), studies of sample and detector supports, implantations of different particle, X-ray or gamma-ray detectors, etc.
• The further development of the machine (proton source, analysis vacuum chamber, pumping system, beam window, etc.).
• The improvement of the safety systems and in term the training of operators and guides.

More information here: https://international-relations.web.cern.ch/eco/sections/teacher-student-programmes

Your profile

Skills

• Experience in experimental physics, computing science or electronics.
• Experience in accelerators and beamlines is an asset.
• Basic skills in software development, detector construction, project management.
• Experience with small scale experiments would be an advantage.
• Knowledge of detector electronics (amplifiers, MCA, DPP, etc.) will be appreciated.
• A high interest in being part of an outreach project.
• Strong communication skills.
• Experience in communicating science to diverse audiences including young learners aged 5-19 years.
• Desire and ability to work in a team within a large international organisation.
• Fast learner capable of rapidly and effectively grasping new concepts.

Further details:

https://international-relations.web.cern.ch/opportunities/2025/project-graduate-beamline-schools-support-scientist-and-elisa-educator

• Fluent in English, the ability to work in French would be an advantage.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• You have a professional background in Science education, STEM or other related (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: 14th of March at 23:59 (midnight) CET.

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

Target start date: 01-April-2025

This position involves:

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

Job reference: IR-ECO-TSP-2025-26-GRAP

Field of work: International Relations

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.