Surface Finishing Engineer (TE-VSC-SCC-2024-161-GRAE)

Job Description

The future of high-energy physics hinges on designing and building colliders, like the Future Circular Collider (FCC), capable of pushing the energy and intensity frontiers beyond the present limits.

The devices which accelerate the particles in such machines and determine their energy efficiency are the superconducting radiofrequency structures - their performance depends strongly on the surface treatment which is applied during manufacturing.

The Vacuum, Surfaces and Coatings (VSC) group is in charge of the design, construction, operation, maintenance and development of the entire CERN vacuum systems.

In this context it includes the facilities for thin film coating, surface finishing and vacuum related characterization.

As a Surface Finishing Engineer in the VSC group you will, in the frame of the FCC study :

• Perform chemical and electrochemical polishing on radiofrequency structures;
• Apply process simulations tools to optimise existing polishing processes or test new ones;
• Develop and test new electropolishing baths compositions;
• Perform precision cleaning for components for vacuum applications, etching, electroplating on prototype and series parts for the CERN accelerators;
• Document your work by written procedures and presentations.
• Participate in the maintenance, monitoring and quality assurance (QA) of the workshops.

More information here :

Who we are looking for

Skills and / or knowledge

• Practical knowledge of surface finishing (metals cleaning, etching, polishing and electroplating);
• Willingness to learn new treatments;
• Ability to work in a team;
• Fluent in French, the ability to work in English would be an advantage.

Eligibility criteria :

• You are a national of a .
• By the application deadline, you have a maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation in Materials science (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.

Additional Information

Job closing date : 5 November 2024 at 23h59 CET.

Job reference : TE-VSC-SCC-2024-161-GRAE

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

Target start date : 01-January-2025

This position involves :

Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.

What we offer

• A monthly stipend ranging between 5134 and 5647 Swiss Francs (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

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.