diff --git a/.github/workflows/mandatory_and_optional_test_reminder.yml b/.github/workflows/mandatory_and_optional_test_reminder.yml
index fb32495c45..8aef074c8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mandatory_and_optional_test_reminder.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mandatory_and_optional_test_reminder.yml
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ jobs:
 
                       Please make sure you run these tests via comment before you merge!
 
-                      * `cscs-ci run`
+                      * `cscs-ci run default`
                       * `launch jenkins spack`
 
                       **Optional Tests**
 
+                      To run benchmarks you can use:
+
+                      * `cscs-ci run benchmark`
+
                       In case your change might affect downstream [icon-exclaim](https://github.com/C2SM/icon-exclaim), please consider running
 
                       * `launch jenkins icon`
diff --git a/ci/base.yml b/ci/base.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2258c59141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/base.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+include:
+  - remote: 'https://gitlab.com/cscs-ci/recipes/-/raw/master/templates/v2/.ci-ext.yml'
+
+stages:
+  - build
+  - test
+  - benchmark
+
+.py310: &py310
+  PYVERSION_PREFIX: py310
+  PYVERSION: 3.10.9
+
+variables:
+  PYTHON_VERSION: "3.10"
+  PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/icon4py:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
+
+.build_template:
+  stage: build
+  extends: .container-builder
+  variables:
+    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.build
+    DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS: '["PYVERSION=$PYVERSION"]'
+    <<: *py310
+
+.test_template:
+  extends: .container-runner-daint-gpu
+  timeout: 8h
+  image: $PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME
+  before_script:
+    - apt-get update
+    - python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
+    - cd /icon4py
+    - pyversion_no_dot="${PYTHON_VERSION//./}"
+    - pip install tox clang-format
+    - python -c "import cupy"
+    - ls ${TEST_DATA_PATH}
+  variables:
+    SLURM_JOB_NUM_NODES: 1
+    SLURM_NTASKS: 1
+    SLURM_TIMELIMIT: '06:00:00'
+    CRAY_CUDA_MPS: 1
+    NUM_PROCESSES: auto
+    VIRTUALENV_SYSTEM_SITE_PACKAGES: 1
+    CSCS_NEEDED_DATA: icon4py
+    TEST_DATA_PATH: "/apps/daint/UES/jenkssl/ciext/icon4py"
diff --git a/ci/benchmark.yml b/ci/benchmark.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32aecff49c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/benchmark.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+include:
+  - local: 'ci/base.yml'
+
+variables:
+  DACE_VERSION: "0.14.4"
+
+build:
+  extends: .build_template
+
+benchmark_model_icon_grid:
+  extends: .test_template
+  stage: benchmark
+  script:
+    - if [ "$BACKEND" = "dace_cpu" ] || [ "$BACKEND" = "dace_gpu" ]; then pip install dace==$DACE_VERSION; fi
+    - tox -r -e run_benchmarks -c model/ -- --backend=$BACKEND --grid=icon_grid --disable-warnings
+  parallel:
+    matrix:
+      - BACKEND: [dace_cpu, gtfn_cpu, gtfn_gpu]
diff --git a/ci/default.yml b/ci/default.yml
index 9a71720925..197d2913ac 100644
--- a/ci/default.yml
+++ b/ci/default.yml
@@ -1,125 +1,20 @@
 include:
-  - remote: 'https://gitlab.com/cscs-ci/recipes/-/raw/master/templates/v2/.ci-ext.yml'
+  - local: 'ci/base.yml'
 
-stages:
-  - build
-  - test
-  - benchmark
-
-.py310: &py310
-  PYVERSION_PREFIX: py310
-  PYVERSION: 3.10.9
-
-variables:
-  DACE_VERSION: "0.15.1"
-  PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/icon4py:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
-  PYTHON_VERSION: "3.10"
-
-.build_template:
-  stage: build
-  extends: .container-builder
-  variables:
-    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.build
-    DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS: '["PYVERSION=$PYVERSION"]'
-    <<: *py310
-
-.test_template:
-  extends: .container-runner-daint-gpu
-  timeout: 8h
-  image: $PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME
-  before_script:
-    - apt-get update
-    - python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
-    - cd /icon4py
-    - pyversion_no_dot="${PYTHON_VERSION//./}"
-    - pip install tox clang-format
-    - python -c "import cupy"
-    - ls ${SERIALIZED_DATA_PATH}
-  variables:
-    SLURM_JOB_NUM_NODES: 1
-    SLURM_NTASKS: 1
-    SLURM_TIMELIMIT: '06:00:00'
-    CRAY_CUDA_MPS: 1
-    NUM_PROCESSES: auto
-    VIRTUALENV_SYSTEM_SITE_PACKAGES: 1
-    CSCS_NEEDED_DATA: icon4py
-    TEST_DATA_PATH: "/apps/daint/UES/jenkssl/ciext/icon4py"
-
-build_job:
+build:
   extends: .build_template
 
-test_model_job_roundtrip_simple_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: test
-  script:
-    - tox -r -e run_stencil_tests -c model/ --verbose
-
-test_model_job_dace_cpu_simple_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: test
-  script:
-    - pip install dace==$DACE_VERSION
-    - tox -r -e run_stencil_tests -c model/ --verbose -- --backend=dace_cpu
-  only:
-  - main
-  allow_failure: true
-
-test_model_job_dace_gpu_simple_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: test
-  script:
-    - pip install dace==$DACE_VERSION
-    - tox -r -e run_stencil_tests -c model/ --verbose -- --backend=dace_gpu
-  only:
-  - main
-  allow_failure: true
-
-test_model_job_gtfn_cpu_simple_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: test
-  script:
-    - tox -r -e run_stencil_tests -c model/ --verbose -- --backend=gtfn_cpu
-
-test_model_job_gtfn_gpu_simple_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: test
-  script:
-    - tox -r -e run_stencil_tests -c model/ --verbose -- --backend=gtfn_gpu
+test_model_simple_grid:
+    extends: .test_template
+    stage: test
+    script:
+      - tox -r -e run_stencil_tests -c model/ --verbose -- --backend=$BACKEND
+    parallel:
+      matrix:
+        - BACKEND: [gtfn_cpu, gtfn_gpu, roundtrip]
 
-test_tools_job:
+test_tools:
   extends: .test_template
   stage: test
   script:
     - tox -r -c tools/ --verbose
-
-benchmark_model_dace_cpu_icon_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: benchmark
-  script:
-    - pip install dace==$DACE_VERSION
-    - tox -r -e run_benchmarks -c model/ -- --backend=dace_cpu --grid=icon_grid
-  only:
-  - main
-  when: manual
-
-benchmark_model_dace_gpu_icon_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: benchmark
-  script:
-    - pip install dace==$DACE_VERSION
-    - tox -r -e run_benchmarks -c model/ -- --backend=dace_gpu --grid=icon_grid
-  only:
-  - main
-  when: manual
-
-benchmark_model_gtfn_cpu_icon_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: benchmark
-  script:
-    - tox -r -e run_benchmarks -c model/ -- --backend=gtfn_cpu --grid=icon_grid
-
-benchmark_model_gtfn_gpu_icon_grid:
-  extends: .test_template
-  stage: benchmark
-  script:
-    - tox -r -e run_benchmarks -c model/ -- --backend=gtfn_gpu --grid=icon_grid