Senior Systems Engineer

Oxford Lasers Ltd; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical Scheme

Permanent Health Insurance

Death-in-Service Benefits

Holiday options: 20/25/30 days

Job summary

Oxford Lasers Ltd, based in Didcot, Oxfordshire, seeks a Senior Systems Engineer to lead the definition and delivery of our laser micromachining platforms. This role interfaces with mechanical, optical, electrical and software teams to ensure performance, reliability and customer requirements are met.

The successful candidate will drive system architectures, verification plans and trade‑off studies, reporting to the Engineering Manager.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or Physics (e.g., Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Optical Engineering).
• Hands‑on experience of laser micromachining.
• Knowledge of laser, optics, motion systems, software and laser interactions.
• Understanding of system architecture and integration.
• Knowledge of project management and V&V processes.
• Experience of systems engineering and cross‑functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end systems engineering lifecycle for laser micromachining systems, from concept through deployment.
• Define and manage system architectures, specifications and interfaces across subsystems (laser sources, motion control, optics, vision systems and software).
• Lead systems integration activities ensuring cohesive functionality and performance.
• Perform modelling, analysis and trade‑off studies to optimise performance, cost and manufacturability.
• Capture, analyse and translate customer requirements into clear technical specifications and verification procedures.
• Support new product development and continuous improvement of existing systems.
• Collaborate with optical, mechanical, electrical and software engineers and provide technical support to production, service and applications teams.

Skills

Laser micromachining

Systems engineering

Laser optics

Control systems

Software

Project management

V&V processes

Education

Engineering or Physics degree

Job description

The Company

Oxford Lasers Ltd is a high technology company headquartered in Didcot, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. The company designs and manufactures complete laser-based systems, supplies subcontract laser manufacturing services and carries out after sales services.

The Company operates two divisions; Micromachining and Imaging. Micromachining systems use a laser beam to make microscopic holes or cuts in a wide range of materials. Imaging systems use a laser to produce very short, intense pulses of light to image and analyse very small, fast moving particles. Our customers range from large semiconductor manufacturers operating 24/7 to leading edge research groups and our installations are in Europe, Americas and Asia.

The company was founded in 1977 as a spin-out from Oxford University and still retains its unique skills in laser technology and applications.

Oxford Lasers is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

The Position

Oxford Lasers is seeking a talented and driven Senior Systems Engineer to lead the definition and delivery of our custom advanced laser micromachining platforms. This role is central to the commercial success of this business area and requires a commercially focused and pragmatic approach to the design, integration, validation, and delivery of high-precision laser systems used across research and industrial applications.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Sales team and act as the technical bridge between multidisciplinary teams (mechanical, optical, electrical, software), ensuring that complex systems meet performance, reliability, and customer requirements. The role will report to the Engineering Manager and will be based out of our Didcot, Oxfordshire headquarters.

Responsibilities

Commercial

• Provide rapid feedback to Sales team with system costings, technical details and technical proposals, enabling the Sales team to rapidly respond to enquiries and tenders.
• Assist Sales team on potential solutions for non-standard systems along with resources required and risks to deliver.

Systems Engineering and Integration

• Own the end-to-end systems engineering lifecycle for laser micromachining systems, from concept through to deployment.
• Define and manage system architectures, specifications, and interfaces across subsystems (laser sources, motion control, optics, vision systems, and software).
• Lead systems integration activities, ensuring all components function cohesively to deliver required performance.
• Perform system modelling, analysis, and trade-off studies to optimise performance, cost, and manufacturability.

Requirements and Verification

• Capture, analyse, and manage customer and stakeholder requirements, translating them into clear technical specifications.
• Develop and maintain requirements traceability.
• Define, manage and mitigate risks to performance and project realisation.
• Define and execute verification and validation (V&V) plans, including functional, performance, and environmental testing.
• Troubleshoot complex system-level issues and drive root-cause analysis.

Project and Product Development

• Support new product development and continuous improvement of existing systems.
• Contribute to design reviews and ensure compliance with defined specifications and engineering standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with:
  • Optical engineers on beam delivery and laser integration
  • Mechanical engineers on precision motion and structural design
  • Electrical/software engineers on control systems and automation
• Provide technical support to production, service, and applications teams.

Documentation and Compliance

• Produce and maintain high quality technical documentation, including system specifications, interface control documents, and verification procedures.
• Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, safety regulations, and quality systems.

The Person

• The right to work in the UK
• An attitude and aptitude to support the commercial success of this business area.
• Degree in Engineering or Physics (e.g., Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Optical Engineering).
• Hands‑on experience of laser micromachining.
• Knowledge of laser, optics, motion systems, software and laser interactions.
• Understanding of:
  • System architecture and integration
  • Control systems and automation
• Ability to diagnose and resolve complex system-level technical issues.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work across teams and with customers.
• Experience of systems engineering
• Knowledge of project management and V&V processes

We Offer

• Competitive salary based on experience
• 20/25/30 day holiday options
• Private Medical Scheme
• Permanent Health Insurance and Death-in-Service Benefits