21 Opportunities with CERN
Did you know that CERN employs ten times more engineers and technicians than research physicists, see figure 21.1. For physicists to understand the data that pours off the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), you need armies of engineers to enable the scientists to do their work. A lot of those engineers are working on hardware and software, and most of them won’t be physicists. (Hull 2020)
Figure 21.1: Many scientific laboratories like CERN employ lots of software and hardware engineers. Computation isn’t just a fundamental part of physics, it is key to all the natural sciences so wherever you find scientists, you will also find research software engineers. Fair use image via Wikimedia Commons w.wiki/4qmF adapted using the Wikipedia app 🇪🇺
Working at CERN is your chance to gain hands-on experience at one of the world’s leading centres for scientific research. Whether you’re an aspiring engineer, physicist, or developer, this programme will provide you with unparalleled exposure to cutting-edge technology and the chance to work alongside top experts in your field.
21.1 Next deadline 23rd Feb 2026
CERN has several rounds of applications every year for year-long placements, what they call technical studentships in engineering and allied disciplines. The next deadline for applications is 23rd Feb 2026, see table 21.1.
| Engineering type | Find out more and apply at |
|---|---|
| Computing, IT, Maths & Robotics | bit.ly/cern-2026-compute |
| Electrical and Electronic | bit.ly/cern-2026-eee |
| Mechanical | bit.ly/cern-2026-mech |
| General and Civil | bit.ly/cern-2026-civ |
| Materials | bit.ly/cern-2026-mat |
If you missed the live webinar in January with Ben Purchase (current technical student), Emma Quinn (current graduate) and Freddie Neill (recruiter) at CERN, a recording can be found at gradcracker.com/webinars/170/start-your-journey-at-cern-in-geneva
21.1.1 More like this?
For more opportunities in Research Software Engineering (RSE) see section 6.3.1