Computing Engineer

Job Posting Organization:
CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, is a leading scientific research organization established to probe the fundamental structure of the universe. It employs physicists and engineers who utilize the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter. CERN's mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of the universe through cutting-edge research and innovation. The organization operates in multiple countries and employs a diverse workforce, fostering an environment of collaboration and inclusion. CERN is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from all Member States and Associate Member States, emphasizing that a diverse workforce is central to its success.

Job Overview:
The Computing Engineer position at CERN involves designing, integrating, and operating advanced machine learning capabilities within CERN’s machine learning platform. The role is crucial for enabling scalable, secure, and reusable machine learning services for both scientific and IT workloads. The successful candidate will work closely with various experiments and service teams to onboard their machine learning use cases in a reliable, performant, and sustainable manner. This includes building CERN’s next-generation large language model (LLM) and AI agent platform, tuning models into secure, scalable services for scientific and operational use cases. The role requires extensive due diligence and validation of selected tools against CERN's diverse use cases across all departments, ensuring that the machine learning service aligns with CERN's operational needs and research objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Computing Engineer include developing and operating the machine learning service of CERN IT, which encompasses model training, hyper-parameter optimization, and serving to ensure optimal usage of accelerator resources. The engineer will integrate and operate LLM and AI agent capabilities within the CERN machine learning service, focusing on scalable model serving, agent frameworks, and secure multi-tenant access. Additionally, the role involves extending existing MLOps workflows to cover deployment, observability, and lifecycle management of models, agents, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines targeting both CERN and external data sources. The engineer will also produce and present reference architectures, documentation, and best practices to support CERN users and their specific use cases. Collaboration with other groups in IT and across departments is essential, as is maintaining alignment with the evolving landscape of external research and industry organizations.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree or equivalent relevant experience in Computing Engineering or a related field. A strong background in machine learning systems is essential, with hands-on experience in deploying and operating such services in production environments. Solid MLOps and cloud-native skills are required, including proficiency in Kubernetes and containerization, CI/CD, observability, and model lifecycle management. Familiarity with GPU and/or other accelerator platforms, including performance tuning and optimization of inference workloads, is also necessary. Candidates should have knowledge of operating systems, system configuration tools, and the architecture and design of ICT systems, as well as the ability to identify and select relevant emerging ICT technologies. Knowledge and application of software lifecycle tools and procedures are also important.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Master's degree in Computing Engineering or a closely related field. Equivalent relevant experience may also be considered. The educational qualifications should provide a solid foundation in computing principles, machine learning, and systems engineering, equipping candidates with the necessary skills to excel in this role.

Experience:
Candidates should have a strong background in machine learning systems, with significant hands-on experience in deploying and operating such services in production environments. This experience should include solid MLOps and cloud-native skills, demonstrating the ability to manage complex machine learning workflows and systems effectively. Familiarity with GPU and accelerator platforms, as well as experience in performance tuning and optimization, is also essential.

Languages:
The position requires proficiency in spoken and written English, as this is the primary language of communication at CERN. Additionally, candidates should demonstrate a commitment to learning French, which is beneficial for integration into the local community and workplace.

Additional Notes:
This position is offered as a limited duration contract for 5 years, with the possibility of extension up to 8 years and eligibility for an indefinite contract tenure. The role requires a commitment to working 40 hours per week, with hybrid job flexibility. Candidates should be prepared to work during nights, Sundays, and official holidays as required by the needs of the organization. The job grade for this position is 6-7, and it falls under the field of Software Engineering and IT. CERN offers a competitive salary that is tax-free and increases with relevant experience, along with 30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks of annual closure. Employees are covered by CERN’s comprehensive health insurance scheme and have access to a pension fund, as well as family, child, and infant monthly allowances depending on individual circumstances. A relocation package is also available, which includes installation grants, removal expenses, and travel costs.