Converter Controls Architecture Engineer (SY-EPC-CCE-2025-259-GRAE)
CERN - The European Research Center of Particle Physics
Employment Type: Full-time
Study converter digital control architectures for the next generation particle accelerator (the Future Circular Collider – FCC), creating a model, and a parameterised scenario building tool to compare architectures.
Your results will be used to select the most suitable control philosophy for power converters for the FCC, optimising dependability, versus capital investment (CAPEX) and ongoing operational costs (OPEX)
Your responsibilities
Key Tasks:
- Work with power converter experts, build a picture for the total number, and types of converters in the FCC.
- Work with today's operations information, derive the reliability metrics for the converter control systems.
- Build a parameterised model, deriving CAPEX, OPEX and dependability.
- Use the model to expand upon architectures, and to extract scenarios.
- Work with others, across the organisation, to create an exhaustive model of the FCC control system and major equipment elements.
Your profile
Experience:
- Basic understanding of dependability: Methods to quantify availability, perform sensitivity analysis, and identify weaknesses.
- Experience in programming: e.g. Python for building the tool.
- Familiarity with analysis & statistics: Carry out sensitivity analyses and interpret parameter spaces.
Skills:
- Writing test reports;
- Presenting results;
- Working as part of a team;
- Knowledge of Python;
- 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 Electronic/Systems/Electrical Engineer (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: 12.12.2025 at 23:59 CET.
Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum.
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Target start date: 01-March-2026
Job reference: SY-EPC-CCE-2025-259-GRAE
Field of work: Electrical or Electronics Engineering
What we offer
- A monthly stipend ranging between 5196 and 5716 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 http://home.cern.
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.
