Development Engineer — Customer Projects

AddOptics; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

AddOptics in Rotterdam, NL is seeking a Development Engineer who will lead customer-facing projects from initial contact to final delivery. You will validate designs, build and test prototypes, and guide PoC iterations with a focus on clear technical communication and reliable follow-through.

You will own projects end-to-end, collaborate with Sales, and translate customer needs into actionable engineering work, ensuring a trusted partnership and fast, rigorous iterations.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years in a customer-facing technical role (applications engineering, technical project management, field engineering, or similar).
• Experience guiding customers through a structured technical or development process (PoC, qualification, NPI, or equivalent).
• Strong project ownership with proactive communication and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Hones hands-on engineering work: assess customer lens designs, prototype tests, and validate performance against specs.
• Lead customer development projects end to end — from initial technical intake and feasibility assessment through PoC, iteration, and final delivery.
• Run the PoC process: help customers understand feasibility, what needs to change, and what results mean for next steps.
• Be the primary engineering contact for customers throughout the project—build trust via technical credibility, clear communication, and reliable follow-through.
• Work closely with Sales to manage the customer relationship: understand priorities, manage expectations, and know when to evacuate.
• Drive fast, structured iteration cycles — translate test feedback into engineering action and turn around the next prototype without losing rigour.
• Translate between customer needs, design, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of processes, documentation, and customer handover.

Skills

Customer-facing role

Project ownership

Optical engineering

PoC process

Education

BSc or MSc in Engineering, Applied Physics, Optical Engineering

Job description

Lead the Project. Guide the Customer. Deliver the Result.

Location: Rotterdam, NL Commitment: Full time Experience: 3+ years

You're the kind of engineer who's just as comfortable in a customer call as on the lab bench.

At AddOptics, we partner with R&D and product development teams who are building next-generation optical devices. They come to us at a critical moment — when they need to validate their design, test their assumptions, and get answers and prototypes in their hands fast. The Development Engineer is the person who makes that process work.

You'll own projects from first conversation to final delivery, guide customers through a structured PoC process, and build the kind of trust that turns a first project into a long-term partnership. You'll work closely with our Sales team to navigate the customer relationship — and you'll be the engineering voice they rely on throughout.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Doing the actual engineering work — hands-on assessment of customer lens designs, building and testing prototypes, and validating performance against spec
• Leading customer development projects end to end — from initial technical intake and feasibility assessment through PoC, iteration, and final delivery
• Running the PoC process: helping customers understand whether their design is feasible, what needs to change, and what the results mean for their next move
• Being the primary engineering contact for your customers throughout the project — building trust through technical credibility, clear communication, and reliable follow-through
• Working closely with Sales to navigate the customer relationship: understanding priorities, managing expectations, and knowing when to evacuate
• Driving fast, structured iteration cycles — taking customer test feedback, translating it into engineering action, and turning around the next prototype without losing rigour
• Translating between what the customer wants, what the design says, and what manufacturing can actually deliver
• Contributing to how we continuously improve the process, documentation, and customer handover

What We’re Looking For

• 3–7 years in a customer-facing technical role — applications engineering, technical project management, field engineering, or similar
• Solid engineering foundations — you can hold your own in a technical conversation with an R&D engineer and earn their respect quickly
• Experience guiding customers through a structured technical or development process (PoC, qualification, NPI, or equivalent)
• Strong project ownership: you track your projects, communicate proactively, and don't wait to be chased
• The ability to context-switch between the detail of a technical problem and the bigger picture of what the customer is trying to achieve
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, iterative environment where priorities can shift and you need to adapt without losing quality
• A BSc or MSc in Engineering, Applied Physics, Optical Engineering, or a related field

The Kind of Person Who Thrives Here

You understand that in a commercial environment, the relationship and the result are equally important. You communicate early, clearly, and honestly — especially when there's a challenge. You take pride not just in delivering a result, but in making sure the customer knows exactly what it tells them and what to do next. And you genuinely enjoy the dynamic of working directly with people who are building something ambitious.

What You’ll Get

• Direct ownership of customer projects in a growing, high-impact team
• Regular exposure to cutting-edge optical and vision technology development
• A close-knit team where people genuinely know and support each other
• We take the work seriously, and we take the time to celebrate what we achieve together
• Competitive salary and benefits