FPGA Engineer (BE-CEM-EDL-2025-65-GRAP)

Job Description

Your responsibilities

As part of the BE-CEM-EDL team, you will contribute to two key projects shaping the future of high-precision accelerator controls:

• The White Rabbit project: a CERN-born technology and now an industry-standard that provides sub-nanosecond synchronisation and deterministic data transfer to distributed devices interconnected with a WR network. You will enhance and maintain the basic blocks of this technology that are implemented in FPGA, including the White Rabbit PTP Core (WRPC), which is deployed in thousands of instances worldwide.
• The Frequency Scanning Interferometry project: A breakthrough technology that allows multi-channel micrometer-level distance measurements of components weighing several tons—essential for fully remote and precise alignment of particle accelerator components. You will work on enhancements, production, testing and support of FSI acquisition system that is based on the DI/OT platform, with a dedicated Photodetector board.

As an FPGA Engineer you will:

• Develop and maintain HDL modules (mostly VHDL).
• Develop simulation test benches (mostly SystemVerilog)
• Develop automated tests, to be run on hardware in Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines.
• Assist in the development of production tests to be conducted post-hardware manufacturing.
• Maintain GIT repos with dozens of developers.
• Collaborate with your colleagues in the hardware/software co-design process, where HDL, firmware, Linux device drivers and host applications are developed and reviewed together.

Your profile

Skills

Required:

• FPGA design and simulation
• Low-level programming in C
• Git-based development, code reviews, merge requests and CI pipelines

Desired:

• Python and PyTest
• Linux device drivers
• PCB design

Language skills:

• Spoken and written English or French, with a commitment to learn the basics of the other language.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• You have a professional background in Software Engineer (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: 29.06.2025 at 23:59h CEST.

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

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Target start date: 01-September-2025

Job reference: BE-CEM-EDL-2025-65-GRAP

Field of work: Software Engineering and IT

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.