About CERN
What is CERN?
CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research. "Founded in 1954, the CERN laboratory sits astride the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. It was one of Europe's first joint ventures and now has 25 member states." Its job adverts describe the work directly: "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 Large Hadron Collider, its ATLAS, CMS, ALICE and LHCb detectors, and the birth of the Web all belong here.
Where will I work?
On site, near Geneva. CERN describes "a unique campus spread across interconnected areas: Meyrin, Prévessin, and the vast experimental and underground tunnel system" — around 600 buildings and seven experimental areas, with three on-site restaurants, a hotel, a library and its own Fire & Rescue Service. Because CERN is an intergovernmental organisation, "remuneration is paid under a dedicated internal tax system and is typically exempt from national income taxation in the Host States (Switzerland and France)", and joiners may receive travel, installation, removal and international indemnities plus visa assistance.
What is the CERN team like?
"Our staff and students come from over 100 different countries, bringing together a rich mix of cultures, languages, and perspectives." Alongside physicists sit engineers, technicians and specialists across accelerators, IT, civil engineering, safety, finance, HR and procurement. Vacancies welcome "applications from all Member States and Associate Member States". Staff contracts are typically limited-duration with a route onward: "Possibility to extend your contract up to 8 years + eligibility for indefinite contract tenure."
Work-Life Balance
"The standard working week at CERN is 40 hours, from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday, including a one-hour lunch break," with the option, depending on the role, "to adjust your start and end times (typically between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm), or reduce your working hours, in agreement with your management." Leave is specific: "You enjoy 2.5 working days of paid leave per month, amounting to 6 weeks of paid holiday per year," and "CERN shuts down for two weeks at the end of each year", days that "are in addition to your annual leave". Official holidays sit on top, including the Geneva holiday Jeûne Genevois. Teleworking is capped rather than open-ended: "You may telework up to 40% of your working time over any two-week period," subject to supervisor approval.
Perks and Benefits
- "30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks annual closure", plus official holidays
- The CERN Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS), covering consultations, hospitalisation, surgery, accident care and maternity, for you and your family
- Membership of the CERN Pension Fund, "a defined-benefit scheme, guaranteeing members a specific benefit upon retirement"
- Fund protection "in the event of retirement, disability, or death"
- Monthly family, child and infant allowances, plus Le Jardin des Particules, the on-site crèche and school for children aged 4 months to 8 years
- Leave "for key life events, such as maternity, co-parenting/paternity, adoption, marriage or registered partnership"
- CERN Learning Hub courses, French and English classes and tandem learning