Controls and Automation Engineer

About the role

Join the Cooling and Ventilation developers team in CERN's Engineering Department. You will contribute to the design, commissioning and maintenance of industrial control systems that keep CERN's accelerators, detectors and infrastructure operating safely and efficiently.

Key responsibilities

• Gather control‑system requirements and produce complete technical documentation.
• Design automation solutions and PLC applications for cooling and ventilation plants.
• Develop, test and validate PLC programs on simulators.
• Perform on‑site commissioning and support of industrial control systems.
• Identify, design and implement improvements or corrective actions for operational control systems.

Required profile

• Proven experience in PLC programming and familiarity with IEC 61131 standards.
• Basic knowledge of Python or another high‑level language.
• Ability to read and work with electrical schematics.
• Initial experience with SCADA configuration, programming and operation.
• Fluent English with a willingness to learn French.
• National of a CERN Member or Associate State, maximum two years of professional experience after a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, and no prior CERN contract.

Required skills

• Siemens Step7 and/or TIA Portal.
• Schneider Control Expert.
• Python programming.
• Version control using Git.
• SCADA systems.
• PLC programming (IEC 61131).

What we offer

• Fixed‑term contract of 24 months, extendable up to 36 months.
• 40 hours per week with hybrid work flexibility.
• Opportunity to work on large‑scale industrial installations in a highly technical environment.
• Start date: 1 October 2026.