The CERN Junior Automation & Controls Engineer job (reference BE-ICS-ACS-2026-247-GRAE) is a 24-month hybrid graduate position in Geneva, Switzerland, paying a net monthly stipend of CHF 5,266 or CHF 5,793 depending on your degree. It is open to nationals of a CERN Member or Associate Member State with a Bachelor's or Master's degree and up to two years of professional experience since graduation, and applications close on 16 November 2026 at 23:59 CET. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the posting so you can see the duties, eligibility rules and benefits in one place before you apply.
Position Overview
🏛️ Organisation: CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research
💼 Role: Junior Automation & Controls Engineer
🔖 Job reference: BE-ICS-ACS-2026-247-GRAE
📍 Location: Geneva, Switzerland, hybrid
🗂️ Field of work: Data Science, AI & Analytics
🧭 Benchmark job: 200020 - Computing Engineer
📆 Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum
🕘 Working hours: 40 hours per week
🚀 Target start date: 01 January 2027
💶 Net monthly stipend: CHF 5,266 or CHF 5,793, depending on your degree
Building Control Systems Across CERN
You join a team of control and automation experts and contribute to the development of applications based on the UNICOS-CPC framework, which is used CERN-wide for the development of PLC-based control systems. You work alongside process and equipment experts from across CERN to develop, test, commission and maintain control systems across a wide range of domains.
Your Responsibilities
🏗️ Develop, commission and maintain control applications based on the UNICOS-CPC framework for standardised PLC application generation, supporting Siemens and Schneider PLCs.
🤝 Work closely with process and equipment experts to specify, implement, commission and support control systems that meet their operational needs.
🧰 Contribute to the maintenance and further development of tooling and testing infrastructure used to support application development.
🔭 Contribute to the evaluation of emerging automation technologies and help shape the next generation of control at CERN.
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Your Profile
🎯 Background and/or interest in the field of automation and control.
🔌 Basic hands-on experience developing, testing or troubleshooting PLC programs using IEC 61131-3 languages.
📡 Knowledge and experience in industrial communication protocols would be an asset.
🐍 Initial experience with Python.
Skills Needed
🧩 Strong problem-solving and technical communication skills.
📐 Basic knowledge of control theory and automation principles.
💾 Knowledge of PLC programming using IEC 61131-3 languages.
🔁 Knowledge of Continuous Integration based on GitLab CI would be an asset.
🗣️ 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 Automation, Control 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 a university degree are not eligible.
🚫 Applicants with a PhD are not eligible.
Eligible Nationalities
Nationals of the following CERN Member and Associate Member States can apply: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile, India, Ireland and Ukraine.
Conditions of the Position
The posting states that this position involves a valid driving licence. The job flexibility is hybrid, with 40 working hours per week.
Salary and Benefits
💶 A monthly net stipend of either CHF 5,266 or CHF 5,793, depending on your degree.
🏖️ 30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks of 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.
About CERN
At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, the frontiers of science and technology are pushed every day. The work brings together not only physicists but also a diverse range of professionals from engineering, technical, scientific and administrative fields, in an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive.
Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research that shapes our understanding of the universe. Diversity has been a core value of CERN since its foundation and remains central to its mission and continued success.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the CERN Junior Automation & Controls Engineer job pay?
The net monthly stipend is either CHF 5,266 or CHF 5,793, depending on your degree. The package also includes 30 days of paid leave per year, health insurance, membership of the CERN Pension Fund and a relocation package.
How long is the contract and when does it start?
The contract lasts 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum. The target start date is 01 January 2027, at 40 hours per week with hybrid job flexibility.
Who can apply for this CERN graduate position?
You must be a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State, with a Bachelor's or Master's degree as your highest qualification and a maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation in Automation, Control Engineering or a related field. You must never have had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
Can I apply with a PhD or without a university degree?
No. The posting states that applicants without a university degree and applicants with a PhD are not eligible.
What technical experience does the role expect?
The profile asks for basic hands-on experience developing, testing or troubleshooting PLC programs using IEC 61131-3 languages, plus initial experience with Python. Knowledge of industrial communication protocols and of Continuous Integration based on GitLab CI would be an asset.
Do I need a driving licence?
Yes. The posting states that this position involves a valid driving licence.
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Deadline
⏳ 16 November 2026
Link
Application: https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/CERN/744000157822439-junior-automation-controls-engineer-be-ics-acs-2026-247-grae-
