Controls and Automation Engineer

Join the Cooling and Ventilation developers team within CERN’s Engineering Department, contributing to the development, commissioning, and maintenance of Industrial Control Systems and automation solutions essential to CERN’s accelerators, detectors, and infrastructure. Work on specification, design, commissioning, and maintenance of ICS dedicated to cooling and ventilation plants for accelerator facilities and technical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Gather control system requirements and compile all relevant technical documentation.
• Design automation solutions and control systems for Industrial ventilation and cooling plants.
• Develop and implement PLC applications for Industrial Control Systems.
• Define and execute tests of Industrial Control Systems on simulators.
• Perform on-site commissioning of Industrial Control Systems.
• Design, implement, and deploy improvements and corrective actions for operational control systems.

Requirements

• You are a national of a CERN Member State or Associate Member State (excluding Pakistani and Lithuanian nationals for 2026 start date).
• By the application deadline, you have a maximum of 2 years of professional experience since graduation in the respective field.
• Your highest educational qualification is either a bachelor’s or master’s degree; you must have a university degree and cannot hold a PhD.
• You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
• Proven experience in Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming.
• Good knowledge of PLC development based on the IEC 61131 standard.
• Initial experience in Python programming or other high-level programming languages.
• Ability to read and work with electrical schematics.
• Initial experience in the configuration, programming, and operation of SCADA systems.
• Understanding of industrial automation principles and control systems.
• Experience with SCADA systems in an industrial environment is considered an advantage.
• Knowledge of automation theory and industrial process control is considered an advantage.
• Your studies focused on Automation and Controls.
• PLC programming using SIEMENS Step7, TIA Portal and/or Schneider Control Expert.
• High-level programming languages (e.g. Python).
• Version control software systems (e.g. Git).
• Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.
• A valid driving licence.
• Willingness to work in Radiation Areas and interventions in underground installations.

Skills

• Programmable Logic Controller programming
• PLC development IEC 61131
• Python Programming
• Electrical schematics reading
• SCADA systems configuration
• SCADA systems programming
• Industrial automation principles
• Control systems
• Automation theory
• Industrial process control
• SIEMENS Step7 programming
• TIA Portal programming
• Schneider Control Expert programming
• High-level programming languages
• Version control software
• Git
• Industrial Control Systems
• Cooling and ventilation systems
• Commissioning and maintenance of ICS

Languages

English, French