Project Graduate: Science Educator

Company Description

At CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, 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 established value of the Organization.

Job Description

Are you passionate about engaging students in science and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers?

Are you an enthusiastic science educator who feels comfortable interacting with diverse audiences in English and/or in French?

Are you interested in evaluating the impact of educational activities?

Join the CERN Science Gateway education team as a science educator!

CERN has an opening for a Project Graduate in the Teacher & Student Programmes (TSP) Section in the Education, Communication and Outreach (ECO) group in the International Relations (IR) sector.

CERN Science Gateway (https://sciencegateway.cern/) is an emblematic education and outreach facility with the aim to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the discoveries, the science and the technologies of CERN. CERN Science Gateway’s educational activities include a) lab workshops that will allow visitors aged 5+ years to explore their scientific curiosity by learning how to conduct scientific investigations, and b) interactive science shows that will allow visitors to explore the exciting stories and scientific methods behind major advances in science and technology.  Lab workshops and science shows have been developed in an iterative design process and have been tested since CERN Science Gateway opened to the public in October 2023.

As a science educator you will:

  • Develop and implement different evaluation protocols to assess lab workshops and their educational outcomes.
  • Contribute to the continuous development of lab workshops taking evaluation results into account.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of effective training and coaching sessions for volunteers from CERN’s scientific community who facilitate lab workshops.
  • Facilitate and review hands-on science workshops for diverse groups of learners in the education labs and perform inspiring experiments on stage in the context of science shows.
  • Work closely with the CERN Science Gateway team and the wider CERN community to explore new avenues for future educational activities and adapt them for special events at CERN and beyond.

Qualifications/skills required

Eligibility criteria:

  • You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
  • You have a Master’s degree and between 2 and 6 years of experience or PhD with up to 3 years of relevant experience in science education or other related fields.
  • Kindly note that experience prior to the latest degree will not be taken into account for the calculation of your overall years of experience.

Essential skills and experience:

  • Experience in science education; experience in particle physics education is an asset.
  • Experience in communicating science to diverse audiences including young learners aged 5-12 years.
  • Experience in evaluating the impact of educational activities using quantitative and qualitative methods.
  • Desire and ability to work in a team within a large international organisation.
  • Fast learner capable of rapidly and effectively grasping new concepts.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills and ability to adjust to different audiences.
  • Sound working knowledge of English and French; any other language is an asset.
     

This vacancy is within the CERN Graduate Programme – Project Graduates (Quest).

The expected start date of the post is 01.09.2024.

For further details and to submit your application, please, go to the CERN Graduate Programme pages

Please send us your application by 12.05.2024.