Software Engineer (IT-SC-OPS-2020-7-LD)

At CERN, the European Organization 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. Find out more on http://home.cern.

Join the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG), Operations and Experiment Liaison (OPS) section of the Scientific Computing (SC) group at CERN IT Department! This is a unique challenge as the next step in your career as Software Engineer. CERN, take part!

The WLCG is a global collaboration providing one of the largest infrastructures for scientific computing in the world. It provides computing and storage resources for the LHC experiments and consists of about 200 computing centres located all over the planet integrating also cloud and HPC resources.

The WLCG Operations and Experiment Liaison team coordinates WLCG operations and contributes to complex tasks such as infrastructure optimization and an effective infrastructure integration with the computing systems of the scientific user communities. Members of the team work closely with the science users and technology experts to ensure strong collaboration between the computing experts across user communities, WLCG project and CERN IT. WLCG is a highly dynamic environment in which frequently technical and coordination leadership roles arise. These offer the successful candidate career development opportunities in line with increased experience.

More information about WLCG project is at: https://wlcg.web.cern.ch/

More information on the IT Department is at: http://cern.ch/it

Functions
The selected candidate will join the activities of Operations and Experiment Liaison (OPS) of the Scientific Computing Collaboration (SC) group. As a Software Engineer, you will:
-Be responsible of software development of the cross-community computing projects driven by the section which implies the opportunity to architect and implement new solutions aiming to reduce WLCG operational costs and automate operational tasks, optimize utility of WLCG resources and improve science productivity.
-Perform the liaison role between LHC experiments, the WLCG project and the CERN IT department.
-Take part in the WLCG operations coordination, WLCG task forces and working groups.

Qualifications
Master's degree or equivalent relevant experience in the field of software engineering or a related field.

Experience:
The candidate should have experience in the following areas with some of the technologies mentioned below:

Software development:
-In-depth experience in object-oriented software design in the Linux environment with Python.
-Design, development and deployment of web applications. Experience with the Django framework would be an asset.

Configuration management and deployment:
-Configuration management systems: eg Puppet and/or Ansible.
-Use of cloud computing platforms: eg OpenStack.
-Use of systems for container-based application deployment: eg Kubernetes and/or Docker Swarm.

Monitoring of large-scale distributed systems, data analytics and machine learning:
-Data handling: hadoop, Spark, ElasticSearch, LogStash, InfluxDB.
-Data visualization: Grafana, Kibana.

Technical competencies:
-Architecture and design of ICT systems.
-Development of system software (drivers, system configuration and monitoring, etc.): masters state of the art software development tools.
-Testing, diagnosing and optimization of software: analytic skills to identify and resolve problems.
-Re-use, refactoring, integration and porting of existing software.
-User relationship management.

Behavioural competencies:
-Achieving results: delivering prompt and efficient service taking into account customer needs.
-Demonstrating flexibility: readily absorbing new techniques and working practices; proposing new or improved ways of working.
-Communicating effectively: utilising effective negotiation techniques to achieve long-term results acceptable to all parties involved.
-Solving problems: identifying, defining and assessing problems, taking action to address them; adopting a pragmatic approach; understanding the value of adopting generic rather than 'gold -plated' technical solutions.
-Learning and sharing knowledge: sharing knowledge and expertise freely and willingly with others; coaching others to ensure knowledge transfer.

Language skills:
-Good knowledge of English is required; ability to draw-up technical specifications and/or scientific reports and to make oral presentations.
-Basic knowledge of French or an undertaking to acquire it rapidly.

Eligibility and closing date:

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 23.02.2020

Employment Conditions

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

These functions require:
-Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.
-Stand-by duty, when required by the needs of the Organization.

Job grade: 6-7

Job reference: IT-SC-OPS-2020-7-LD

Benchmark Job Title: Computing Engineer

Please make sure you have all the documents needed to hand as you start your application, as once it is submitted, you will not be able to upload any documents or edit your application further