Are you an enthusiastic and curious Technical Engineer looking for a challenging professional experience? If so, joining CERN's ORIGIN programme may be the perfect opportunity for you.
As a Technical Engineer in the surface coating and chemistry team, you will contribute to the production of thin films for CERN's accelerator complex. All necessary training on the specific coating set ups and instrumentation will be given.
Your responsibilities
- Operate Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating setups (sputtering): including assembly, vacuum pumping, bakeout, deposition processing, and disassembly.
- Measure the thickness and composition of thin films using an X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer.
- Perform validation and quality control of the performance of Non-Evaporable Getter coatings (NEG).
- Prepare technical documentation, including reports and procedures.
- Contribute to the design, procurement, and assembly of tooling for the coating setups.
Your profile
- Experience in the areas of vacuum technology and the use of vacuum instrumentation, including vacuum pumps.
- Experience in materials for vacuum.
- Basic knowledge in materials properties and characterisation.
- Practical experience in thin films coating is an advantage.
- Familiarity with surface treatments and their execution/preparation is an advantage.
- Experience in Ultra-high vacuum is an advantage.
Skills
- Ability to work in groups and actively participate in team activities.
- Ability to work independently and communicate progress, priorities and challenges in your work.
- Knowledge and use of Excel and Word, Labview is a plus.
- 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 Vacuum and Material Sciences (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: 21.10.2026 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.
- Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.
Job reference: TE-VSC-SCC-2026-234-GRAE
Field of work: Chemical, Materials & Process Engineering
Benchmark job: 301180 - Material Science/Chemical Technical 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
Skills Required
- Maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation in vacuum and material sciences or a related field
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in vacuum and material sciences or a related field
- Experience with vacuum technology and vacuum instrumentation, including vacuum pumps
- Experience with materials for vacuum
- Basic knowledge of materials properties and characterization
- Ability to work in groups and actively participate in team activities
- Ability to work independently and communicate progress, priorities, and challenges
- Knowledge and use of Excel and Word
- Spoken and written English, with commitment to learn French
- Practical experience in thin-film coating
- Familiarity with surface treatments and their execution or preparation
- Experience in ultra-high vacuum
- Knowledge of LabVIEW
- Nationality of a CERN Member or Associate Member State
- No prior CERN fellow or graduate contract
- No PhD; applicants without a university degree are not eligible
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.
CERN Insights
What We Do
CERN is an international laboratory for particle physics research, providing unique particle accelerator facilities to uncover what the universe is made of and how it works.
