Superconducting RF Engineer; SY-RF-SRF--LD

Company Description

At CERN, the European Organisation 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.

Join CERN’s mission to advance accelerator technology. As an Engineer in the Superconducting Radio‑Frequency Section, you will design and develop key RF components for the new 400 MHz Demonstrator Cryomodule, contributing to innovations that will drive the future of particle physics.

You will join the Accelerator Systems Department (SY), which is responsible for the beam‑related technical systems of the CERN accelerators. The SY teams design, build and operate equipment systems in all CERN accelerators, and are engaged in ambitious forward‑looking R&D programmes.

You will join the SC RF Cavity Technology Section, of the Radio frequency Group. You will participate in the development of RF power components, and in particular the fundamental RF power couplers and HOM RF power extraction couplers, which are highly sophisticated and critical components in the RF power transmission to accelerator SRF cavities.

You will join a multidisciplinary team developing advanced accelerator technologies for CERN’s future program. Your work will focus on the design and development of key RF components, Fundamental Power Couplers (FPC) and High Order Mode (HOM) extraction couplers—for the new 400 MHz Demonstrator Cryomodule (DEMO).

• Take a significant part in the mechanical design of FPCs and HOM couplers, including material selection and manufacturing technologies.
• Perform coupled RF, thermal, and mechanical simulations across all operating conditions, from room temperature to cryogenic.
• Contribute to the design, construction, and operation of test stations for RF conditioning and high‑power qualification.
• Oversee the production and assembly of prototypes, including preparation of specifications, cleanroom procedures, quality control, and documentation.
• Support cryogenic qualification testing on single cavities and full assemblies.
• Collaborate across internal and external teams, reporting progress and presenting results in workshops and conferences.

Master’s degree or PhD or equivalent relevant experience in the field of electrical or mechanical engineering or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience in mechanical and electrical engineering aspects of RF equipment applied to scientific instruments.
• Demonstrated experience with electromagnetic simulation tools for evaluating RF fields, power dissipation, and multipacting effects, in addition to mechanical and thermal finite element computations and computer‑aided design software.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating multidisciplinary projects for scientific instruments, covering the full lifecycle from conceptual and electromagnetic design through mechanical integration, prototyping, RF testing, and qualification.
• Experience in preparing technical specifications, technical reports, and publishing papers in international conferences.

• Knowledge and application of RF techniques, incl. electrical engineering techniques for the design, testing, and optimisation of superconducting RF systems.
• Design and analysis of mechanical structures.
• Knowledge and application of cryogenic heat transfer and insulation techniques.
• Design and modelling of RF accelerating structures.
• Knowledge and application of clean‑room techniques.

• Demonstrating accountability: taking responsibility for own actions and decisions.
• Learning and sharing knowledge: thinking "out of the box" and proposing fresh ideas, insights and methodologies.
• Managing self: taking initiative beyond regular tasks and making things happen.
• Working in teams: understanding when teamwork is required to achieve the best results; including others accordingly and…