Lead Optical Sensing Development Engineer

Optics11; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Team events

Fresh lunches

Job summary

Optics11 is seeking a Lead Optical Sensing Development Engineer to own the development and realization of optical sensing solutions. You will work across the full product lifecycle to deliver robust fiber‑optic sensing used for temperature, pressure and heading in demanding underwater environments.

You will combine hands-on engineering with technical leadership, mentoring engineers and driving improvements across design reviews and manufacturing interfaces.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of industrial experience in fiber-optic sensing, optical sensor development, photonics or precision optical systems.
• 4+ years leading multi-disciplinary design teams.
• Experience with industrialization and manufacturability of optical systems.
• Solid understanding of optical physics, sensor design, calibration principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and engineering realization of optical sensor subsystems throughout the product lifecycle.
• Translate requirements into robust optical sensing solutions.
• Develop fiber-optic sensing principles, sensor architectures, optical assemblies, packaging concepts, calibration methods and interfaces.
• Design and evaluate concepts, prototypes and models through testing and analysis.
• Mentor and lead engineers while maintaining hands‑on engineering contribution.
• Drive technical decisions balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost and risk.

Skills

Optical engineering

Fiber-optic sensing

Team leadership

Mentoring

Hands-on engineering

Problem solving

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Master’s degree or PhD in Optical Engineering/Applied Physics/Photonics/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Fiber Bragg Grating sensing

Manufacturing processes

Job description

We are looking for a Lead Optical Sensing Development Engineer to take technical ownership of the development and realization of our optical sensing solutions.

In this role, you will develop robust fiber-optic sensing solutions used to measure parameters such as temperature, pressure and heading in demanding underwater environments. You will work across the full product development lifecycle, from early concepts and prototypes through testing, calibration, integration and industrialization.

As a senior technical contributor, you will combine hands‑on engineering with technical leadership, working closely with System Engineering, Product Integration, Verification & Validation, Lifecycle Engineering and manufacturing partners to turn complex sensing concepts into reliable and scalable products.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the development and engineering realization of optical sensor subsystems throughout the product lifecycle.

• Translate product and subsystem requirements into robust optical sensing solutions.

• Develop fiber-optic sensing principles, sensor architectures, optical assemblies, packaging concepts, calibration methods and subsystem interfaces.

• Develop sensing solutions for temperature, pressure, heading and future sensing capabilities.

• Design and evaluate concepts, prototypes and engineering models through testing, characterization and analysis.

• Develop calibration methods and characterize sensor accuracy, repeatability, drift and environmental performance.

• Analyze test and verification results, identify failure modes and performance limitations, and drive technical improvements.

• Lead technical investigations, root cause analyses and engineering trade-offs related to sensor performance, stability and reliability.

• Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to resolve integration and interface challenges.

• Support Verification & Validation and industrialization, improving manufacturability, calibration efficiency and production repeatability.

• Make and drive subsystem-level technical decisions while balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost and risk.

• Identify technical risks and dependencies early and help teams find practical solutions.

• Contribute to design reviews and multidisciplinary technical discussions, creating alignment around technical direction.

• Mentor and support engineers within the optical sensing domain while remaining an active hands‑on engineering contributor.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement and long‑term development of optical sensing technologies and engineering practices at Optics11.

Why Join Us?

• Join one of Europe’s most promising deep-tech scale-ups.

• Shape the future of a rapidly growing multidisciplinary R&D organization.

• Competitive salary and benefits package.

• Enjoy regular team activities and company events.

• Fresh team lunches provided 3 times/week.

What you bring:

• A Master’s degree or PhD in Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.

• Minimum 10 years of industrial experience in fiber-optic sensing, optical sensor development, photonics or precision optical systems

• Minimum 4 years of experience leading multi disciplined design teams.

• A collaborative mindset and the ability to mentor engineers and influence technical decisions without losing your hands‑on engineering focus.

• Experience with industrialization, manufacturing processes or design for manufacturability.

• Solid understanding of optical physics, sensor design, optical assemblies and calibration principles.

• Experience developing and testing sensors or complex technical systems from concept through product realization.

• Hands‑on experience with engineering testing, characterization, data analysis and structured problem solving.

• Experience working with environmental influences, measurement accuracy, drift, repeatability and reliability.

• Strong engineering judgement and the ability to make structured technical trade‑offs.

• Experience working across disciplines and communicating complex technical topics clearly.

• The ability to take technical ownership, create clarity and drive engineering work forward in a dynamic development environment.

Nice to have:

• Experience with Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing technologies.

• Experience developing sensors for subsea, offshore or other harsh environments.

• Knowledge of precision mechanics, sensor packaging, materials and opto‑mechanical design.

Security & Compliance:

You’ll be working with clients in the defense and security sectors, obtaining a Certificate of No Objection issued by the AIVD (Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service) is mandatory. This means you will need to undergo a security screening. For more information, please refer to details on security screening.