Electronics Engineer

Job Description

Your responsibilities

Are you a well-rounded engineer with experience in hardware, firmware and software design? Do you have an R&D mindset and are at ease with lab experimentation? You will be part of a small and dynamic team working in the Electronic Systems for Experiments group that is part of CERN's Experimental Physics department. We are working on new high speed data read-out and control links based on Silicon Photonics technology, high end FPGAs and Commercial transceivers for CERN Particle Physics experiments. You will contribute by designing and implementing FPGA-based systems to control and fine-tune our Silicon Photonics device operation and its driver, monitor and optimize their performance and propose comprehensive and integrated solutions to build a system demonstrator. Reaching this goal will require tight collaboration with engineers and technicians from various fields (ASIC and PIC designers, optoelectronics and system engineers, electronics and mechanics technicians). You will be an essential member of the team and participate in the system evaluation campaigns.

More information here:

Your profile

Required Skills and/or knowledge

• Proven experience in VHDL for FPGA design with communication interfaces and high-speed links implementation.
• Proven experience with software development (Python, C).
• Experience in PCB design.
• Experience in implementation of test benches including instrumentation, custom electronics and software.
• Experience with laboratory characterization of electronic and/or photonic circuit.
• You enjoy working in a small team building practical solutions in close collaboration with colleagues and external partners.
• You have excellent problem-solving skills and a passion for tackling complex technical challenges in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

Skills that would be a plus

• Knowledge of Analog to Digital conversion techniques.
• Knowledge of Verilog.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State .
• You have a professional background in Electronics (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: June 13 at 23:59 PM CEST.

Job reference: EP-ESE-BE-2024-108-GRAP

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

Target start date: 01-October-2024

This position requires:

• Work in Radiation Areas.

What we offer

• A monthly stipend ranging between 6212 and 6828 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

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.