Job Description

Your responsibilities

Are you an engineer or applied physicist who wants take part in CERN’s new flagship project, the Future Circular Collider? Do you have competences in radiation protection, Monte Carlo simulations and some coding? If yes, join the Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection (HSE) Unit, namely the Accelerators & Sites section of the Radiation Protection (RP) Group, and work with us on this thrilling project.

The future of high-energy physics in the 21st century hinges on designing and building colliders capable of pushing the energy and intensity frontiers by an order of magnitude beyond the present values. The Future Circular Collider study explores different collider options, combined into a single research infrastructure built in a 100km underground tunnel, it can offer a solid and diverse physics programme extending beyond the end of the century. The study is now entering a preliminary technical design phase, and you can become part of it !

You will join a small group of engineers and physicists to work on the radiation protection aspects while the new accelerator and infrastructure is being designed. You will collaborate with members of the FCC project team from different departments and institutes in charge of the preliminary technical design.

Your key responsibilities and tasks will be:

• Follow the project with a focus on aspects relevant for radiation protection.
• Perform radiation protection assessments and studies of technical and accelerator systems as they are being designed, using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code and other data sources or codes.
• Contribute to optimise the technical design with respect to radiation protection aspects.
• Provide input to studies for the environmental impact assessment.
• Prepare and give presentations on radiation protection aspects and studies in project meetings.
• Writing technical reports documenting your work.
• Present relevant scientific results at conferences and/or in scientific publications.

Your profile

You are a self-driven and proactive professional who thrives in diverse, multidisciplinary teams. With strong organizational skills, you ensure thorough documentation of your work and communicate effectively through clear presentations and collaborative engagement.

Required skills/experience:

• Good knowledge of radiation physics, nuclear and/or particle physics.
• Programming and data analysis skills in Python (or similar languages) are essential. Some basic FORTRAN and C++ knowledge is of advantage, as well as using the git version control system.
• Experience with Monte Carlo simulation codes for radiation transport calculations. The FLUKA code is mainly used and having experience and knowledge is a clear advantage.
• Knowledge of radiation protection concepts.
• A working knowledge of English or French.

Beneficial skills/experience:

• Knowledge of accelerator physics is an advantage.
• Basic knowledge of any national radiation protection regulations is an advantage.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• You have a professional background in Nuclear Engineering/Physics or High Energy Physics (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: 16.03.2025 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-May-2025 (or later)

Job reference: HSE-RP-AS-2025-28-GRAP

Field of work: Applied Physics

Benchmark job: 200110 – Radiation Protection Physicist

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.