Applied Physicist on DAQ Software

As a highly motivated applied physicist with experience in advanced particle detectors for high-energy physics experiments, you will join the CERN CMS Tracker team to develop software and diagnostic tools spanning the integration, checkout, commissioning, and calibration chain of the Tracker detector for the High-Luminosity LHC. You will contribute to online and offline software, databases, and user interfaces supporting detector testing and commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Develop online software within the ShepHERD ecosystem for configuration, control, monitoring, and automated calibration of the back-end electronics for the Outer Tracker and Inner Tracker.
• Participate in hardware integration and commissioning activities at CERN, including back-end integration tests at the Tracker Integration Facility (TIF) and slice tests.
• Contribute to the development of checkout and calibration procedures, including associated test protocols.
• Help scope and implement tools across the integration → checkout → commissioning → calibration workflow, with a focus on online and offline software, database interfaces, and web/UI tooling.
• Follow the firmware development of back-end boards and possibly contribute to it.

Requirements

• You are a national of a CERN Member State or Associate Member State (excluding Pakistani and Lithuanian nationals for 2026 start date).
• By the application deadline, you have a master’s degree with 2 to 6 years of professional experience since graduation or a PhD with a maximum of 3 years of professional experience since graduation.
• You are not eligible with only a bachelor’s degree.
• You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
• Solid background in silicon detectors for high-energy physics experiments.
• Experience in developing or contributing to test protocols and data acquisition routines.
• Hands-on experience with detector readout chains, including front-end and back-end electronics, optical links, and DAQ systems is considered beneficial.
• Experience with data analysis tools, detector qualification, or commissioning is considered an asset.
• Your studies focused on Electronics Engineering, Applied Physics.
• Proven expert-level knowledge of C++.
• Experience with version control systems (Git/GitLab), continuous integration, and collaborative software development practices.
• Familiarity with firmware development (VHDL) is considered an advantage.
• Experience with databases, web/UI development, or online monitoring tools is considered an asset.
• Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.

Skills

• Silicon Detectors
• Test Protocol Development
• Data Acquisition Routines
• Detector Readout Chains
• Front-end Electronics
• Back-end Electronics
• Optical Links
• DAQ Systems
• Data Analysis
• Detector Qualification
• Detector Commissioning
• Electronics Engineering
• Applied Physics
• C/C++ Programming
• Version Control Systems
• Git
• GitLab
• Continuous Integration
• Collaborative Software Development
• Firmware Development
• VHDL
• Database Development
• Website Development
• User interface design
• Online Monitoring Tools

Languages

English, French