Cloud and DevOPS Engineer

Located on the Paris-Saclay plateau, about 20 kilometers from the capital, the SOLEIL synchrotron is one of France's leading research facilities. Since it began operating in 2008, it has served the national and international scientific communities. Research conducted at SOLEIL covers a wide range of scientific and industrial fields — including physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, environmental science, Earth sciences, and cultural and natural heritage — all connected to current societal challenges. Experiments carried out on the beamlines rely on the use of synchrotron light emitted by electrons accelerated to nearly the speed of light within a storage ring. SOLEIL is jointly supervised by the CNRS and the CEA and offers its staff a dynamic, innovative, multidisciplinary, and international working environment.

At the forefront of technology, SOLEIL II is an ambitious project designed to provide new opportunities for scientific and industrial research. SOLEIL II consists of a major upgrade of the existing infrastructure and aims to significantly improve the performance of electron accelerators and beamlines. It is designed to address major current and future societal challenges, particularly in areas such as advanced materials research, energy and sustainable development, health and well-being, and the environment.

Construction work on the SOLEIL II project began in 2024, marking the start of a phase of development and technological innovation. In parallel, the existing facility will remain operational until the fall of 2028. SOLEIL II is scheduled to start operations in 2030, with a gradual ramp-up phase continuing until 2035.

Context and missions

You want to achieve personal growth and take on new challenges within an enthusiastic, multidisciplinary team undergoing a major transformation of its IT infrastructure. Join the ISI group (IT Infrastructure and Support), where you will work alongside domain experts. You will discover the stimulating nature of our collaborative projects within the framework of the SOLEIL II upgrade project, in particular those related to:

• the implementation of infrastructure for development, pre-production, and production environments;
• the deployment of the VISA infrastructure;
• the studies and developments required to establish, first, a Docker infrastructure and, subsequently, a Kubernetes infrastructure.

The challenges associated with this role include:

• Creating and operating Cloud platforms based on OpenStack and Ceph for cutting-edge scientific applications.
• Designing, maintaining, and evolving GitLab CI/CD pipelines (HCL2, Packer) to build and deploy Linux Cloud images.
• Creating, testing, and validating Linux Cloud images used to run advanced scientific applications (Docker, Packer, Bash and Python scripts).
• Operating and maintaining OpenStack, Docker, Proxmox, and Kubernetes platforms (performance, scalability, security) as part of Cloud services.

The playground:

• Linux environment, virtualization, and containerization (OpenStack, Proxmox, Docker, Apptainer).
• Modern Cloud architectures: microservices, containers, orchestration, GitOps.
• Large-scale European scientific projects (data analysis platforms, VISA – Virtual Infrastructure for Scientific Analysis, PaNOSC – Photon and Neutron Open Science Cluster).
• Working at the heart of the SOLEIL Synchrotron, a very large research infrastructure located on the Saclay plateau.
• To deliver our ambitious projects, you will work within project teams responsible for implementing these infrastructures, composed of other IT experts and scientists from beamlines or accelerator divisions.

Profile

Engineer or equivalent degree in Computer Science / Cloud / Virtualization, with initial experience in SysOps/DevOps.
To successfully carry out this role, the candidate should have the following expertise:

• Linux, TCP/IP networking, and automation tools (GitLab CI/CD, Ansible, HCL2).
• Solid foundations in Bash and Python scripting, with a strong desire to grow skills in Cloud and DevOps technologies.
• Ability to work within multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively with scientific and technical profiles.

Personal qualities we value:

• Technological curiosity and a genuine passion for IT and Open Source.
• Rigor, method, and a strong sense of priorities, while remaining proactive and solution-oriented.
• Motivation to contribute to tangible projects that support scientific research and technological innovation.

Working conditions

This is a fixed-term contract for a defined purpose (CDDOD) of 3 years. The position is based in Saint-Aubin (Essonne), at the SOLEIL Synchrotron.

If you are looking for a position in a company built on the pillars of scientific excellence and technological innovation, SOLEIL offers you the opportunity to:

• Work within an innovative, multidisciplinary, and multicultural research laboratory.
• Be at the heart of the research and development dynamics of the Paris-Saclay cluster.
• Collaborate with national and international experts across diverse scientific and technical fields.
• Take advantage of Paris being only 25 km away, offering rich cultural experiences and a vibrant lifestyle.
• Undertake short trips within France or Europe.

Benefits

• 26 days of paid vacation + up to 2 additional split days + 23 RTT (reduction of working time) days per full year of work, based on a 40-hour work week.

• Mandatory health insurance (basic plan) costs €19.35 per month for the employee (with an employer contribution of €174.15, corresponding to 90% of the premium), covering household members (spouse/partner + children).

• We also offer an optional supplementary health plan for €26.69 per month covering your household (spouse/partner + children).

• Access to a provident scheme that supplements the benefits of the mandatory French Social Security system, which are often insufficient. It compensates for loss of income in case of inability to work, ensuring the standard of living of the insured and their family in difficult circumstances: death, incapacity for work, or disability resulting from illness or accident.

• Possibility to open a Time Savings Account (CET) after one year of seniority.

• On-site corporate catering at SOLEIL, with subsidized meals.

• Family-related benefits depending on individual situations: family allowance supplement, additional days off under certain circumstances, marriage and birth bonuses, etc.

• Social and cultural activities offered by SOLEIL’s Social and Economic Committee (CSE).