Mechanical Engineer for LHC Collimators (EN-MME-EDS-2025-148-GRAE)

The Mechanical and Materials Engineering (EN-MME) group, within the Engineering Department (EN), is looking for a Mechanical Engineer to perform engineering studies, calculations and support to the fabrication for the High Luminosity (HL)-LHC Collimators.

The collimators are critical elements of the LHC machine, providing particle beam cleaning and protecting the superconducting magnets. A total of 36 new collimators and 15 masks are being produced for installation in the LHC tunnel during the Long Shutdown 3. The HL-LHC WP5 is the work package (WP) dedicated to the design, production, testing and installation of the collimators.

You will join the WP5 EN-MME engineering team with the main task of providing engineering support to the development and fabrication of the collimation systems, as well as to the study of their configuration in the LHC under beam losses. Examples of the calculations required include structural, thermal, multiphysics (e.g. fluid-dynamic simulations coupled with thermo-structural FEM), fluid-dynamics, vibration simulations, as well as analytical computations.

You will participate to the regular project meetings, presenting the results of your studies and actively contributing to the advancement of the project. You will work in strong collaboration with the groups involved in the WP5. You will also be required to prepare reports and technical notes, to document the work done.

Skills

Calculations & Simulations:

• Proven experience with finite element analysis software for thermal and structural simulations (e.g., ANSYS, COMSOL);
  
• Ability to analyse and interpret simulation data to guide design decisions and understand operational failure mechanisms;
  
• Understanding of the behaviour and design principles of ductile and brittle materials at room and low temperatures;
  
• Initial experience with 3D CAD software (e.g. CATIA);
  
• Familiarity with International Standards dealing with the design and safety of structural and pressure equipment (e.g. Eurocode, EN-13445) would be an asset.
  

Experimental Activities:

• Willingness and ability to engage in experimental activities, including hardware assembly, testing and procurement support;
  
• Ability to coordinate and manage weekly meetings and follow up of activities.
  

Soft Skills:

• Attitude to teamwork in a multidisciplinary environment;
  
• Excellent communication and documentation skills;
  

Language Skills:

• Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.
  

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 Mechanical Engineering (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.
  

Job closing date:

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

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Target start date: 01-October-2025

This position involves:

• A valid driving licence.
  

Job reference: EN-MME-EDS-2025-148-GRAE

Field of work: Mechanical Engineering

• 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.
  

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.