MAIT Lead Engineer

FSO Instruments; Netherlands; Hybrid; EUR 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market-based salary

31 days off and 8% vacation allowance

Work from home up to 2 days/week

Pension plan

Training opportunities

Job summary

FSO Instruments is seeking a senior verification lead to own the MAIT and verification strategy for innovative optical communication terminals. You will translate system requirements into robust test plans and oversee end-to-end campaigns, coordinating teams across Delft and Almelo.

This role demands deep expertise in high-reliability verification, test setup development and thorough documentation. You will guide engineers, challenge designs for testability, and drive root-cause analysis to

Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Systems Engineering.
• Extensive experience in manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing of high-tech or precision systems.
• Strong verification and validation experience in complex, high-reliability environments.
• Excellent organizational skills to plan and track verification activities.
• Strong documentation mindset to ensure tests are well prepared and recorded.
• Ability to translate system requirements into practical verification approaches, test strategies and plans.
• Experience defining advanced test setups and measurement methods for optical, mechatronic, electrical or environmental performance.
• Solid understanding of precision alignment, calibration, and integration challenges in multidisciplinary products.
• Experience interpreting test data, troubleshooting, and leading root-cause analysis.
• Seniority and confidence to guide engineers and make decisions during campaigns.
• Excellent English communication skills to explain technical choices clearly.

Responsibilities

• Own the MAIT and verification approach for optical terminals from development through qualification.
• Lead a focused MAIT team across Delft and Almelo with clear ownership and timely delivery of verification activities.
• Translate system requirements into end-to-end verification strategies and allocate to analysis, inspection, demonstration, or test.
• Define and govern the verification matrix and test architecture across components, subsystems and terminals.
• Lead the specification of advanced test setups and measurement concepts for optical, electrical, and environmental performance.
• Set direction for integration, alignment, calibration and test procedures.
• Act as technical authority during campaigns, decide on test readiness and deviations.
• Review designs for alignment and testability and translate lessons learned into design improvements.
• Guide engineers, raise technical standards and build verification capabilities for future terminals.
• Lead documentation from plans to test reports.
• Oversee verification of control algorithms, embedded software and electronics.

Skills

Verification & validation

Test strategy development

Root-cause analysis

Documentation

Cross-functional communication

Education

BSc / MSc in Aerospace Eng., Mechanical Eng., Applied Physics, Systems Eng.

Job description

Do you want to lead the verification of advanced optical communication terminals for space? Can you turn complex system requirements into effective test strategies?

At FSO Instruments, you will take a central role in defining how complex, high-reliability systems are integrated, tested, and proven ready for qualification and delivery. You combine technical depth with a structured verification mindset and know how to translate system requirements into robust test strategies, practical setups, and clear technical decisions during integration and test campaigns.

About FSO Instruments

FSO Instruments is at the forefront of developing advanced laser satellite communication technology. Together with our partners and shareholders we are committed to strengthening the Dutch space industry and pushing the boundaries of communication systems to enable faster, more reliable, and secure connections between satellites, airplanes, drones and ground stations. By pushing the boundaries of what is achievable, we are shaping the future of space communication, both locally and globally. FSO Instruments is a Joint Venture between DEMCON and VDL that develops and manufactures optical-communication components, sub-systems, and terminals. FSO Instruments combines the strengths of DEMCON and VDL ETG, inspired by TNO technologies, to let laser satellite communication take the step towards industrialization. We have strong heritage in Semiconductor and Aerospace, and bring this to optical communications:

• Developing and engineering of laser communication terminals
• Modular and Standardized functional (sub-)systems for laser communication
• High tech contract manufacturing expertise for cost-effective high-volume production.

At FSO Instruments we work closely with dedicated partners for development and supply, as well as with our parent companies to ensure we achieve the most competitive products for the market for optical communications in space.

What are you going to do?

• Own the technical MAIT and verification approach for optical communication terminals, from early development through qualification and acceptance.
• Connecting teams, disciplines and stakeholders. Ensure synergy over the MAIT aspects over the multiple products that are under development with team members working both in Delft and Almelo.
• Define key integration and verification milestones and drive their execution, leading a focused MAIT team in preparing and performing test campaigns, while ensuring structured planning, clear ownership, and timely delivery of all verification activities.
• Translate system-level requirements into an end-to-end verification strategy, ensuring each requirement is allocated to the right analysis, inspection, demonstration, or test method.
• Define and govern the verification matrix and test architecture, including the decomposition of requirements across component, subsystem, and terminal-level test campaigns.
• Lead the specification of advanced test setups and measurement concepts required to verify optical, control, mechanical, electrical, and environmental performance.
• Set the technical direction for integration, alignment, calibration, and test procedures, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and suitable for high-reliability space hardware.
• Act as the technical authority during assembly, integration, and verification campaigns, making informed decisions on test readiness, configuration control, deviations, and problem resolution.
• Review and challenge product designs on alignment concept, and testability, and translate lessons learned into design improvements.
• Lead the technical interpretation of verification data and non-conformances, steering root-cause analysis and defining corrective actions to improve product robustness and verification quality.
• Guide engineers and specialists in the MAIT domain, raising technical standards, sharing best practices, and helping build a mature verification capability for future terminal programs.
• Lead the documentation effort, starting with plans and procedures going and ending with test reports.
• Lead the verification of control algorithms, embedded software, and electronics, defining how closed-loop performance, stability, interfaces, fault handling, and functional behavior are tested and validated at board, subsystem, and terminal level.

What do you bring to the table?

• An MSc or BSc degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Systems Engineering, or a similar technical field.
• Extensive experience in manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing of high-tech or precision systems.
• Strong experience with verification and validation of complex systems, preferably in a regulated or high-reliability environment.
• Strong organizational skills, organize the verification activities, maintain planning, keep track of process.
• Strong documentation skills and mindset in order to ensure tests are well prepared and well documented.
• The ability to translate system requirements into practical verification approaches, including test strategies, verification matrices, and test plans.
• Experience defining and using advanced test setups and measurement methods for optical, mechatronic, electrical, or environmental performance.
• A solid understanding of precision alignment, calibration, and system integration challenges in multidisciplinary products.
• Experience interpreting test data, troubleshooting anomalies, and leading root-cause analysis to closure.
• The seniority and technical confidence to guide engineers and make sound technical decisions during integration and verification campaigns.
• Excellent communication skills in English, with the ability to explain technical choices clearly to engineers, project teams, and stakeholders.

What do we offer you?

At FSO Instruments we have a ‘flat’ organization where people can easily find and help each other. We value a comfortable and inclusive workplace. There is a lot of emphasis put on personal needs and we discourage overtime, because we know how important work-life balance is.Furthermore, you can count on, among other things:

• A good, market-based salary;
• 31 days off and 8% vacation allowance;
• Possibility to work from home, maximum 2 days a week (with exception of test heavy project phases).
• A good pension plan at Zwitserleven;
• The opportunity to follow training and courses, or externally, so you can further develop your knowledge;