As part of the ATLAS Detector Cooling team, you will contribute to the qualification, integration, and commissioning of the 2PACL CO₂ cooling system supporting future detector upgrades. You will be involved in thermal testing, instrumentation and DAQ development, data analysis, and the installation and commissioning of cooling infrastructure, gaining unique experience in the deployment of complex systems for a world-leading scientific experiment.
Your responsibilities
- Contribute to the testing and validation of detector structures and 2PACL CO₂ cooling system components, including comparison of experimental results with simulation models.
- Participate in the design, construction, and operation of thermal test setups, instrumentation, and data acquisition (DAQ) systems.
- Analyse and interpret test data to assess system performance and support detector integration activities.
- Collaborate with detector teams by providing technical feedback and supporting detector integration and commissioning work.
- Contribute to the installation, commissioning, and performance validation of the 2PACL cooling system, including cooling distribution lines and vacuum infrastructure.
Your profile
- Initial experience in thermal-fluid systems, cooling technologies, or heat transfer gained through academic, research, or engineering projects.
- Experience with simulation or modelling of thermal and fluid systems.
- Experience using CAD software for 2D and/or 3D mechanical design (e.g. CATIA V5 or similar tools).
- Hands-on experience with instrumentation, laboratory testing, or data acquisition (DAQ) systems.
- Experience analysing and interpreting experimental or simulation data.
Skills
- Good understanding of thermodynamics and heat transfer principles, ideally including exposure to two-phase cooling systems.
- Knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermal-fluid system behaviour.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and technical drawings.
- Familiarity with instrumentation, sensor integration, and data acquisition (DAQ) systems.
- Understanding of SCADA systems and industrial control environments.
- 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 Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, Refrigeration (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.
Job closing date: 28.10.2026 at 23:59 CET.
Open positions: 2
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:
- Participation in a regular stand-by duty, including nights, Sundays and official holidays (for the Mechanical Engineering position).
- Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays (for the Mechanical Engineering position).
- Work in Radiation Areas.
- Interventions in underground installations.
- A valid driving licence.
Job reference: EP-ATL-PO-2026-240-GRAE
Field of work: Mechanical Engineering & Electrical Engineering
Benchmark job: 200090 - Mechanical Engineer; 200040 - Electromechanical 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.
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Skills Required
- Nationality of a CERN Member or Associate Member State
- Maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation by the application deadline
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, Refrigeration, or a related field
- No previous CERN fellow or graduate contract
- Initial experience with thermal-fluid systems, cooling technologies, or heat transfer
- Experience with thermal and fluid-system simulation or modelling
- Experience using CAD software for 2D or 3D mechanical design, such as CATIA V5
- Hands-on experience with instrumentation, laboratory testing, or DAQ systems
- Experience analysing and interpreting experimental or simulation data
- Understanding of thermodynamics and heat transfer, ideally including two-phase cooling
- Knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermal-fluid system behaviour
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and technical drawings
- Familiarity with instrumentation, sensor integration, and DAQ systems
- Understanding of SCADA systems and industrial control environments
- Spoken and written English
- Commitment to learn French
- Valid driving licence
CERN Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about CERN and has not been reviewed or approved by CERN.
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Healthcare Strength — Health insurance is comprehensive, covering medical consultations, hospitalisation, surgery, accident care, maternity, and certain disability or dependency risks for eligible personnel and families. Coverage is provided through CERN’s dedicated health-insurance scheme.
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Retirement Support — A defined-benefit pension delivers retirement, disability, and survivors’ benefits based on remuneration and years of service. This structure offers predictable long‑term security for eligible staff.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid leave totals about six weeks per year and is supplemented by a two‑week year‑end closure. Family‑related leave and flexible scheduling are also available where eligibility criteria are met.
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