About the company
Join CERN's Storage and Data Management group, to develop the next-generation backup solution for services across the laboratory. The Storage and Data Management Group is responsible for enabling data access for the laboratory, in particular the long-term archival, preservation and distribution of LHC data to a worldwide scientific community. CERN, take part!
As a Computing Engineer (S3 Storage and Backup Systems), you will join the Tape Archive and Backup (TAB) section, responsible for the CERN Tape Archive software and the management of 1.5 Petabytes of data in cold storage. Your job will include R&D, software development and operations tasks.
The Backup team are developing a future on-premises backup solution based on tiered storage accessed via a S3 API. Hot data is kept on disk and cold data will be migrated to cold storage (tape). You will work on solving technical problems, contributing new software features, and testing and commissioning the new system.
On the operations side, you will be involved in monitoring and performance analysis, troubleshooting problems and diagnosing the cause of any system failures. This includes interaction with services in the Storage and Data Management group and across CERN.
Responsibilities
- Integrating backup orchestration with disk and tape storage.
- Developing and maintaining software in C++/Linux, client and server.
- Systems integration, configuration management, testing, monitoring and alerting of the new backup system.
- Contributing to planning the migration of existing services to the new backup solution.
- Participating in operations, troubleshooting and support as part of a team.
- Contributing to procedures and documentation.
Requirements
- You are experienced in software development with C++ and Python on Linux.
- Ideally you have experience of S3 object storage.
- Additional experience that would be advantageous: Ceph, systems integration, backup systems, tiered storage systems.
- Skills: C++ software development, Linux systems administration, Scripting in Bash and Python, Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.
- Skills which would be an advantage (but not required; training will be provided where necessary): Experience with S3 API, preferably including cold storage (Glacier) extensions, Knowledge of databases (SQL), Experience with version control systems (e.g. git), Experience with containers (e.g. Kubernetes), Knowledge of monitoring tools (e.g. Grafana, Prometheus).
Eligibility criteria
- You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
- By the application deadline, you have a maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation in Computer Science or Software Engineering (or a related field) and your highest educational qualification is either a Bachelor's or Master's degree.
- You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
- Applicants without University degree are not eligible.
- Applicants with a PhD are not eligible.
Conditions
- Job closing date: 10.09.2026 at 23:59 CEST.
- Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum.
- Working hours: 40 hours per week
- Job flexibility: Hybrid
- Target start date: 01-November-2026
- This position involves: Stand-by duty, when required by the needs of the Organization. Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.
- A monthly net stipend of either 5266 or 5793 Swiss Francs per month depending on your degree.
- 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 allowances.