Job Description

In this role, you will contribute to the development of next-generation readout and control systems for the LHCb experiment, focusing on FPGA gateware and low-level embedded software in both bare-metal and Linux environments. You will participate in the design, implementation and testing of scalable and high-performance solutions that interface with detector electronics and data acquisition systems.

Through this work, you will help evolve CERN's distributed control infrastructure to ensure reliable, efficient and safe operation of upgraded detector systems.

Your responsibilities:

• Collaborate with hardware, firmware (FPGA), embedded software and control system engineers to define system requirements and interface specifications.
• Analyse current and future detector control workloads to define realistic performance benchmarks.
• Define and implement solutions that distribute control functions across FPGA logic and embedded processors to optimise performance, reliability and maintainability.
• Test, validate and refine prototypes in laboratory environments.
• Prepare clear technical documentation and guidelines to support developers and researchers integrating the solutions into their experiments.

Your profile:

• Knowledge in developing, simulating and validating FPGA gateware.
• Experience in writing, profiling and optimising C code.
• Knowledge in hardware/software specification and co-design.

Skills:

• VHDL 2008 (VUnit and UVVM experience is a plus).
• C for embedded applications and Linux device drivers (Rust is a plus).
• Intel Quartus or AMD Vivado toolchains (both is a plus).
• RISC-V instruction set architecture (experience with FPGA softcores like PicoRV32, Nios® V, Microblaze™ V is a plus).
• Low-level communication interfaces (I2C, JTAG, DDR, ...) (experience with lpGBT is a plus).
• Linux distributions for System-on-Chip FPGAs (Yocto, Petalinux, ...).
• 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 Electronics 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: 30.04.2026 at 23:59 CEST.

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

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Job flexibility: Hybrid

Target start date: 01-June-2026

This position involves:

• Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.

Job reference: EP-LCB-2026-89-GRAE

Field of work: Electrical or Electronics Engineering

Benchmark job: 200050 - Electronics Engineer

Global Benefits

• A monthly stipend between 5266-5793 Swiss Francs per month (tax free) depending on your degree.
• 30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks annual closure.
• Coverage by CERN’s comprehensive health insurance scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund.
• Family, child and infant monthly allowances depending on your individual circumstances.
• A relocation package (installation grant and travel expenses) depending on your individual circumstances.
• Possibility to extend your contract up to 36 months.
• On-the-job and formal training including language classes.

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Every day, we face exciting new challenges and opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research that shapes our understanding of the universe. We meet these challenges through the diverse perspectives within our teams, ensuring every contribution is valued and driving our shared sense of inclusion and purpose. Diversity is a core value of CERN since its foundation, and it remains central to our mission and continued success.

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