Join the Vacuum, Surfaces and Coatings (VSC) Group, responsible for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) vacuum system.
As a Material and Surface Science Technician, you will contribute to the consolidation, upgrade, and maintenance of the LHC beam vacuum systems during Long Shutdown 3 (LS3), starting in 2026.
Working as part of a dynamic operations team, you will play a key role in preparing the accelerator for its next phase of high-performance operation.
Your responsibilities:
-
Take part in on-site interventions in the LHC tunnel, contributing to helium leak detection, local heating operations, and the activation of non-evaporable getter (NEG) coatings.
-
Carry out ultra-high vacuum pressure measurements and analyse residual gas composition with mass spectrometry, including identifying possible organic contaminants or air leaks.
-
Assist in preparing and updating technical documentation, tracking the NEG performance of the LHC vacuum system during LS3 activities.
-
Support quality assurance efforts by validating each step of the process and producing detailed intervention reports to ensure traceability and compliance
Your profile:
-
Basic understanding of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) principles.
-
Awareness of outgassing phenomena in vacuum systems.
-
Familiarity with simple techniques for creating and maintaining UHV environments.
-
Basic knowledge of NEG (Non-Evaporable Getter) behaviour and use.
-
Introductory know-how of quadrupole mass spectrometers (RGA) in UHV setups.
-
Basic knowledge of helium leak detection methods.
Skills
-
Able to operate basic ultra-high vacuum (UHV) gauges and read their data.
-
Able to assist with helium leak detection and note basic results.
-
Able to help prepare and update simple technical documentation.
-
Able to support on-site vacuum tasks, like NEG activation and checks.
-
Spoken and written English or French, with a commitment to learn the basics of the other language.
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 Material and Surface Science (or a related field) and your highest educational qualification is a general secondary education diploma.
-
You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
-
Applicants with a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree are not eligible.