ATLAS Forward Detector DAQ Engineer – CERN

About the role

Join CERN's Experimental Physics Department as a hands‑on physicist working on advanced detector technologies for the ATLAS experiment at the High‑Luminosity LHC. You will contribute to the ATLAS Forward Detector upgrade, collaborating with international teams on LUCID‑3 and the High‑Luminosity Zero Degree Calorimeter.

Key responsibilities

• Test and validate components for the ATLAS Forward Detector upgrade.
• Develop and maintain software for data‑acquisition electronics.
• Design, implement and support online monitoring tools.
• Perform laboratory activities, including testing individual electronics components and validating the full detector readout chain.

Required profile

• Proven experience with data‑acquisition systems in high‑energy physics experiments.
• Familiarity with firmware (e.g., FPGA‑based) and hardware‑software integration.
• Experience with online monitoring and real‑time data‑quality assessment is an asset.
• Understanding of trigger systems (Level‑1) and detector control concepts.
• Practical laboratory experience testing electronics components.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python, UNIX/Linux environment proficiency.
• Experience with ROOT for data handling and visualization.
• Fluent English, willingness to learn French, and eligibility as a national of a CERN Member or Associate State.

Required skills

• C++
• Python
• UNIX/Linux
• ROOT
• FPGA firmware development
• Data‑acquisition systems
• Online monitoring tools
• Trigger and detector‑control concepts
• Laboratory electronics testing

What we offer

• Fixed‑term contract of 24 months, extendable up to 36 months.
• 40 hours per week, fully onsite at CERN.
• Start date: 1 October 2026.
• Opportunity to work on cutting‑edge instrumentation for the HL‑LHC.