ML/AI Engineer in Applied Physics (BE-OP-PS-2025-122-GRAP)

Job Description

Your responsibilities

Are you driven by solving complex challenges and eager to shape the future of cutting-edge technology? Join an international, interdisciplinary team that's revolutionising the way we control and operate CERN's particle accelerators, the most powerful machines of their kind on Earth. If you have a strong background in machine learning for modelling and control, this is your opportunity to make a real impact.

As a Project Graduate on the Efficient Particle Accelerators (EPA) project, you'll be at the forefront of innovation, developing state-of-the-art machine learning and AI solutions to enable fully data-driven magnetic hysteresis control across the world's largest particle accelerator complex.

The EPA project is on a bold mission: to pioneer the full automation of accelerator commissioning, operation, and equipment fault diagnostics using scalable AI over the next five years. Be part of this ambitious journey and help shape the future of particle physics.

You will join CERN's Beams Department, which provides the essential competencies for the conception, design, survey, alignment, control, and operation of accelerators, accelerator test facilities, secondary beam lines, and experimental areas. In particular you will be member of the Operations (OP) group and the Proton Synchrotron (PS) section.

As part of an interdisciplinary team from various departements in the Accelerator and Technology Sector with expertise in accelerator physics and technology, operation, machine learning, as well as computer science, you will collaborate with domain experts to design, develop, test, and deploy operational solutions aimed at predicting and compensating field errors due to magnetic hysteresis for various magnet types and at different multi-cycling synchrotrons in real-time. Your role will also involve conducting research to develop new algorithms to overcome already known limitations.

In particular, you will:

• Conduct research towards new control algorithms to overcome limitations of existing solutions.
• Collaborate closely with magnet, operations, and accelerator physics experts to devise robust and reliable solutions.
• Develop and implement improved and transferable hysteresis data collection schemes based on field and beam measurements that will allow for ML hysteresis models with adequate field forcasting accuracy.
• Plan and carry out tests of the ML hysteresis models on the accelerators to evaluate, and ensure the performance and robustness under operational conditions.
• Present your findings internally as well as at international workshops or conferences and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Your profile

Skills:

Essential skills and experience:

• Strong foundation and hands-on experience with machine learning methods and computer science.
• Experience in applying machine learning to real-world problems and in making solutions operational.
• Advanced programming skills, preferably in Python, and familiarity with relevant machine learning libraries, such as PyTorch.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the capacity to work in an international and multidisciplinary team.

Desired skills and experience:

• Knowledge of accelerator physics.
• Research experience in the development of control algorithms.
• 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 Applied physics, Data Science & Data (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: 10.09.2025 at 23:59 CEST.

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

Job reference: BE-OP-PS-2025-122-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.