Governance, Risk and Compliance Lead; CIO--LD

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers probe 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 collide at close to the speed of light, giving clues about how particles interact and providing insights into the fundamental laws of nature.

This function coordinates the definition of policies and adherence assessments in the CERN Office of the CIO in the areas of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), covering data governance, enterprise architecture, cyber‑security, and vendor risk management.

• Lead and coordinate Governance, Risk, and Compliance activities across the Office of the CIO (OCIO).
• Represent the OCIO in senior management forums and technical committees, ensuring alignment and visibility.
• Develop and manage OCIO work plans, monitor progress, and proactively flag risks or issues to the CIO.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all audit‑related matters within the CIO function.

• Master’s Degree or PhD or equivalent relevant experience in the field of Information Technology or a related field.
• Ability to design and implement policy frameworks in areas such as data governance, cyber‑security, and computing architecture.
• Experience of stakeholder‑management including facilitating multi‑party collaboration.
• Excellent analytical skills with an ability to work effectively in a federated environment with distributed responsibilities.
• Understanding risk management methodologies and enterprise risk frameworks.
• Familiarity with cyber‑security standards and best practices (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST).

• Architecture and design of ICT systems.
• Process analysis, definition and improvement.
• Implementation of vision and strategic agility.
• Knowledge of best practices for implementing ICT security standards and policies.
• Risk management.

• Creating Vision and Strategic Partnerships: ensuring alignment to overall strategy when revising unit goals and priorities in the event of changing circumstances.
• Building Relationships: understanding how individual differences bring added value to the organization; promoting complementarities.
• Communicating Effectively: listening actively to others and letting others speak.
• Demonstrating Flexibility: demonstrating openness to new ideas and situations.

Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.

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. We welcome applications from all Member States and Associate Member States.

This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should normally reach us no later than 07.06.2026 at 23:59 CEST.

Contract type:
Limited duration contract (5 years). Subject to certain conditions, holders of limited‑duration contracts may apply for an indefinite position.

Working hours:

40 hours per week

Job flexibility:
Hybrid

This position involves:

• Work during nights, Sundays, and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.

Job grade: 6‑7

Job reference: CIO‑2026‑108‑LD

Field of work:
Software Engineering and IT

Benchmark job title:
Computing Engineer

• Competitive salary (tax‑free), increasing in line with years of relevant experience.
• 30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks 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, removal, travel expenses) depending on your individual circumstances.
• Possibility to extend your contract up to 8 years plus eligibility for indefinite contract tenure.