Communications Support Officer for the CMS Experiment

Company Description

At CERN, the European Organisation 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.

Job Description

Introduction

Are you a self-motivated communications professional with experience in scientific communication for a wide range of audiences - from policymakers to students and educators (at all levels), as well as the general public? Would you like to join the team responsible for sharing the excitement of CMS technologies, activities, collaborative work, and physics with the outside world? Are you skilled at producing simplified scientific materials across a variety of media (social media, videos, printed documents, web pages, etc.) and in organizing communication events around the world? Take part

The CMS Experiment is one of the four large experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Operational for more than 15 years, the CMS detector is one of the most advanced and complex scientific instruments ever created. Amongst many extraordinary results, CMS announced the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 and has since made ultra-precise measurements of its behaviour, leading to a better understanding of the universe. CMS is actively searching for "new physics" and will soon undergo a series of extensive and ground-breaking upgrades to then operate until the early 2040s. Sharing the achievements and technologies, as well as the collaborative nature of the work, is one of the fundamental tenets of CMS - and of CERN in general.

As Communications Support Officer, you will join a small team of communication professionals and physicists, taking a leading role in the strategic direction and implementation of CMS external communications activities. You will work closely with the highest levels of CMS management, while also interfacing with CERN's central communications team and other LHC-related communications groups.

Functions

As a member of the CMS External Communications team, you will play a leading role implementing the strategic communication plan developed by CMS in the past couple of years, as well as evolving it to include new activities, audiences, and methodologies.

You will:

• Support the CMS Head of External Communications and Deputy in the implementation and evolution of all aspects of the CMS strategic plan for external communications.
• Support CMS Management, the CMS Head of External Communications, and the CMS Physics Communications Officers in the production (writing, editing, filming, etc.) and dissemination of information on the CMS physics programme, technological developments, and collaborative work through:
• Social media (including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and others);
• The CMS public website and monthly newsletter;
• Printed and promotional materials (posters, brochures, 3D-printed models, etc.);
• Events for external audiences, both locally to CERN and internationally.
• Liaise between the CMS External Communications team and CMS colleagues, in particular those responsible for physics communications, visits (in person and virtual), and detector subsystem communications.
• Liaise between CMS and organisations such as CERN Communications, the LHC Outreach Group (LOG), the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), and other LHC experiment education and outreach teams.
• Work closely with the CMS Internal Communications team on activities of common interest.
• Supervise CERN graduates, students, and interns.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience in the field of Science Communications or a related field.

Experience:

You should have:

• A basic knowledge and understanding of particle physics and the scientific programmes of CERN, the LHC, and its experiments.
• A strong track record in writing scientific content for non-expert audiences - ideally in a particle physics or CERN-related context - and in packaging this content for broad dissemination.
• Skills in creating and editing scientific multimedia content, preferably related to particle physics. Familiarity with the Adobe software suite is considered an advantage.
• Effective use of social media platforms to reach diverse audiences, including the ability to assess and evaluate the impact of content.
• A proven ability to work successfully in multinational and multicultural environments, preferably within a scientific setting.

Technical competencies:

• Strategic communications planning;
• Science communications;
• Audio-visual production;
• Social media;
• Text editing and proof-reading.

Behavioural competencies:

• Communicating Effectively: selecting the appropriate medium and forum to communicate; expressing opinions, ideas and suggestions with conviction and in a logical/structured manner; keeping to the point.
• Demonstrating Flexibility: actively participating in the implementation of new processes and technologies; demonstrating openness to new ideas and situations; being willing to work on different projects simultaneously.
• Working in Teams: working well in groups and readily fitting into a team; participating fully and taking an active role in team activities; acknowledging the contribution of colleagues; recognising their limitations and offering support to overcome their difficulties; building and maintaining constructive and effective work relationships.
• Managing Self: taking initiative beyond regular tasks and making things happen; using time efficiently and effectively; working well autonomously; taking on activities and tasks without prompting.
• Achieving Results: driving work / projects along and seeing them through to their conclusion; having a structured and organised approach towards work; being able to set priorities and plan tasks with results in mind; defining clear objectives, milestones and deliverables before initiating work/ project.

Language skills:

Spoken and written English, with a commitment to learn French.

Additional Information

Eligibility and closing date:

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organisation. Employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We welcome applications from all Member States and Associate Member States.

This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should normally reach us no later than at 23:59 CET.

Employment Conditions

Contract type: Limited duration contract (5 years). Subject to certain conditions, holders of limited-duration contracts may apply for an indefinite position.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week

Job Flexibility: Hybrid

This position involves:

• Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organisation.

Job grade: 4-5

Job reference: EP-CMX LD

Field of work: Support Services (Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement)

Benchmark Job Title: Communications/Public Relations/External Relations Support Officer