Bare Metal OpenStack Engineer

Job Posting Organization:
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is a leading research institution established in 195

• It is known for its groundbreaking work in the field of particle physics and technology. CERN employs a diverse workforce of over 2,500 staff members and collaborates with thousands of scientists from around the world. The organization operates in multiple countries and is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of science and technology, fostering an environment of innovation and collaboration.

Job Overview:
The Bare Metal OpenStack Engineer position at CERN is a unique opportunity for individuals passionate about infrastructure management at scale. This role involves working with a vast fleet of 10,000 nodes, focusing on the lifecycle management of physical servers using OpenStack Ironic. The engineer will be responsible for maintaining and evolving CERN's OpenStack-based cloud infrastructure, which supports various CERN and LHC experiment services. The position requires collaboration with senior engineers and the upstream OpenStack community, providing a chance to gain hands-on experience in bare metal provisioning, BMC protocols, and Python development within a large-scale production environment. The ideal candidate will enjoy working closely with hardware, contributing to open-source projects, and tackling real operational challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The primary duties and responsibilities of the Bare Metal OpenStack Engineer include:

• Running and evolving CERN IT's OpenStack-based cloud infrastructure.
• Maintaining and developing the bare metal lifecycle management framework built on OpenStack Ironic, which includes integrating new server deliveries, provisioning nodes for user communities, and maintaining tooling for burn-in, stress-testing, and phase-out.
• Contributing to the upstream OpenStack/Ironic code base, leveraging CERN's connections with the open-source community.
• Collaborating on automation and tooling improvements using Python and configuration management systems.
• Engaging with multidisciplinary teams to ensure effective communication and collaboration across various projects.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must have experience administering or working with Linux systems in a server or data-center environment. Proficiency in writing Python scripts or applications for automation or systems tasks is essential. Familiarity with configuration management tools such as Puppet or Ansible is considered a plus. Experience with bare metal server management, BMC protocols (IPMI, Redfish), or hardware provisioning workflows is also advantageous. Contributions to open-source projects or upstream communities will be viewed favorably. Strong knowledge of the Linux operating system, experience with git version control, and programming experience in Python are required. Candidates should also demonstrate an interest in bare metal infrastructure and hardware lifecycle management, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary, international team.

Educational Background:
Applicants must hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field. It is important to note that candidates without a university degree are not eligible for this position, nor are those with a PhD. By the application deadline, candidates should have a maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have a maximum of two years of professional experience in a relevant field since graduation. This experience should ideally be in roles that involve systems engineering, software development, or infrastructure management, particularly in environments that utilize Linux systems and cloud technologies.

Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written English is mandatory, as it is the primary language of communication at CERN. Candidates should also demonstrate a commitment to learning French, which is beneficial for integration into the local community and workplace.

Additional Notes:
The contract duration for this position is 24 months, with the possibility of extension up to a maximum of 36 months. The working hours are set at 40 hours per week, and the job offers flexibility with a hybrid working model. The target start date for this position is October 1, 202

• The job reference is IT-CD-CLI-2026-179-GRAE. Compensation includes a monthly stipend ranging from 5,266 to 5,793 Swiss Francs, which is tax-free and dependent on the candidate's degree. Additional benefits include 30 days of paid leave per year, comprehensive health insurance coverage, family allowances, a relocation package, and opportunities for on-the-job and formal training, including language classes.