Job Description

Your responsibilities

Are you passionate about beam dynamics and eager to contribute to cutting-edge accelerator technology? Our Hadron Source & Linacs section within the Accelerators and Beam Physics group is looking for an Applied Physicist to take part in the commissioning and operation of the Linac4 spare Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) at a dedicated test stand.
In this position you will gain hands-on experience with low-energy hadron beam dynamics and RFQ design.

In this position, you will:

• Get familiar with Linac beam dynamics codes and develop or refine existing models of the Linac4 source, LEBT, RFQ, and measurement line.
• Participate in beam measurements at 45 keV and 3 MeV, collecting and analyzing data to qualify the spare RFQ.
• Use the spare 3 MeV front-end to study low-energy beam dynamics, improving our understanding of key physics processes such as space charge compensation, beam extraction from source, low-energy beam transport, and matching to the RFQ.

Your profile

Skills

• Background in applied physics with experience in beam dynamics, RFQ design, and low energy beam transport.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to work on both simulations and hands-on beam experiments.
• Experience with hadron sources and their development would be an asset.
• Fluent in English, the ability to work in French would be an advantage.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• You have a professional background in Applied Physics (or a related field) and have either:
  • a Master’s degree with 2 to 6 years of post-graduation professional experience;
  • or a PhD with no more than 3 years of post-graduation professional experience.
• You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.

Additional Information

Job closing date: 23.04.2025 at 23:59h (midnight) CET.

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

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Job reference: BE-ABP-HSL-2025-30-GRAP

Field of work: Applied Physics

What we offer

• A monthly stipend ranging between 6287 and 6911 Swiss Francs per month (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.

We are on a Quest. A Journey into discovery like no other. Bring your expertise to our unique work and develop your knowledge and skills at pace. Join world-class subject matter experts on unique projects, in a Quest for greater knowledge and deeper understanding.

Begin your CERN Quest. Take Part!

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.