Full-Stack Software Engineer

About the role

This position invites you to own the end-to-end delivery of a production-grade Virtual Research Environment at CERN, shaping how researchers discover, access, and analyze data. You will architect and prototype scalable interactive analysis workloads by offloading sessions to High-Performance Computing and cloud resources through VirtualKubelet and interLink patterns. You will engineer, develop, and maintain Jupyter extensions for Rucio, REANA, and Zenodo, transforming them into robust, production-grade plugins integrated with the CERN SWAN service. You will lead the consolidation of unified VRE Helm charts to establish a standardized, containerized deployment reference for the platform. You will drive the integration of the VRE and the Open Science Competence Centre into the CERN EOSC node, actively engaging with user communities to align platform development with real-world needs. You will streamline and optimize data staging processes to ensure efficient movement between distributed storage systems and the analysis environment. You will provide active support to the Competence Centre through workshops, training sessions, and documentation, incorporating user feedback to drive iterative technical improvements.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Engineer, develop, and maintain Jupyter extensions for Rucio, REANA, and Zenodo, transforming them into robust, production-grade plugins integrated with the CERN SWAN service.
• Lead the consolidation of unified VRE Helm charts to establish a standardized, containerized deployment reference for the platform.
• Architect and prototype the scaling of interactive analysis workloads, offloading sessions to High-Performance Computing and cloud resources via VirtualKubelet and interLink patterns.
• Drive the integration of the VRE and the Open Science Competence Centre into the CERN EOSC node, actively engaging with user communities to align platform development with real-world needs.
• Streamline and optimize data staging processes to ensure efficient movement between distributed storage systems and the analysis environment.
• Provide active support to the Competence Centre through workshops, training sessions, and documentation, incorporating user feedback to drive iterative technical improvements.
• Implement observability, monitoring, and troubleshooting workflows for the VRE components deployed within the CERN Kubernetes infrastructure.
• Collaborate with distributed teams to define, refine, and execute the technical roadmap for the VRE platform in alignment with ESCAPE and OSCARS objectives.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging open-source tools that enhance the reproducibility and performance of the analysis ecosystem.
• Contribute to the design of automated CI/CD pipelines that ensure reliable, auditable, and incremental delivery of platform features.

Requirements

• Proven ability to develop software in a Linux environment, with fluency in Python.
• Expertise in container technologies, particularly Docker, and orchestration using Kubernetes and Helm.
• Solid experience with version control systems, especially Git, and established CI/CD methodologies.
• In-depth understanding of authentication and authorization protocols, including OAuth2, OIDC, and identity access management solutions such as INDIGO IAM.
• A track record of meaningful contribution to open-source software projects.
• The capacity to write clear, maintainable code and rapidly master new frameworks and tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, with a demonstrated commitment to learning French.
• Eligibility to work in Switzerland and the ability to pass CERN's security checks.

Nice to have

• Hands-on work with Helm, GitOps pipelines, and Prometheus monitoring.
• Familiarity with JupyterHub, JupyterLab extensions, and React-based front-end development.
• Direct experience with CERN data distribution technologies such as Rucio, REANA, Zenodo, and CVMFS.
• Understanding of token-based authentication and identity providers.
• Exposure to workflow management tools like Snakemake or similar frameworks.
• Background in Kubeflow and VirtualKubelet/interLink implementations.
• A history of active participation in open-source communities.

Practical notes

The contract offers an initial duration of 24 months, with potential for extension up to a maximum of 36 months. The role operates on a full-time basis, equivalent to 40 hours per week, and follows a hybrid work model. A target start date of 01 November 2026 is established. This position may require work during nights, Sundays, and official CERN holidays to meet the operational needs of the Organization. The application deadline for this position is 02 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST.