We are excited to offer a unique opportunity to become part of the Microelectronics Section within the Electronic Systems for Experiments (ESE) group at CERN. As a member of the RIGOLETTO project, funded under the HORIZON-Chips JU programme, you will play an active role in the development of an open-source software tool designed to generate System-On-Chip (SoC)circuits for ASIC embedded applications.

This tool, named SoCMAKE, is based on the PeakRDL framework and is being developed in-house by CERN’s EP-ESE group. Your contributions will directly support the advancement of highly resilient electronic systems used in some of the most demanding experimental environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and extend scripts to enhance the functionality of the SoCMAKE tool, which is based on the PeakRDL open-source control and status register (CSR) generator toolchain.
• Design and integrate hardware IP blocks using Verilog or SystemVerilog for inclusion in SoC designs.
• Contribute to the development of RISC-V-based fault-tolerant cores, as well as related peripherals, memories, and interconnects for high-reliability embedded applications.
• Support the automation of EDA tool workflows through scripting and toolchain integration.
• Participate in testing and validation processes for both hardware and software components.

Your profile

Skills

Ideal experience includes:

• Strong understanding of digital logic design.
• Experience with Finite State Machines (FSMs)
• Experience in Verilog and/or VHDL for RTL design
• Experience with SystemVerilog for modeling and verification
• Experience with FPGA prototyping
• Understanding of RISC-V or ARM architectures
• Writing firmware in C/C++ for SoC integration
• Proficiency in Python, or TCL for automation
• Shell scripting for workflow automation in Unix/Linux environments
• Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.

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 Electronics/Computer Science/Physics (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.

Job closing date: 21.09.2025 at 23:59 CEST.

Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum.

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Target start date: 01-November-2025

Job reference: EP-ESE-ME-2025-113-GRAE

Field of work: Electrical or Electronics Engineering

What we offer

• A monthly stipend ranging between 5196 and 5716 Swiss Francs (net of tax).
• Coverage by CERN's comprehensive health scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund.
• Depending on your individual circumstances: installation grant; family, child and infant allowances; payment of travel expenses at the beginning and end of contract.
• 30 days of paid leave per year.
• On-the-job and formal training at CERN as well as in-house language courses for English and/or French.

About us

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.

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an e