Manufacturing Engineer

Optics11; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Optics11 in Amsterdam is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to design, optimize and scale production processes for our high-tech products. You will work closely with R&D, Production, Quality and suppliers to translate prototypes into repeatable manufacturing solutions.

You will develop SOPs, define tooling and equipment, run pilot builds, and drive process capability and continuous improvement to achieve cost, throughput and quality targets.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Materials, or Manufacturing Engineering.
• 3+ years’ experience in manufacturing engineering, preferably in deep tech, semiconductor, advanced materials, or high-tech scale-up environments.
• Good understanding of process development and scale-up methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with assembly and manufacturing technologies.
• Proficiency in CAD/CAM software.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work cross-functionally in fast-paced, innovative teams.
• Strong communication skills in English; Dutch is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize manufacturing processes for high-precision, high-complexity products.
• Collaborate with R&D, design, and quality teams to translate prototypes into scalable production solutions.
• Develop process documentation, SOPs, and training materials for production staff.
• Define tooling, fixtures and production equipment.
• Establish process controls and manufacturing acceptance criteria with Quality.
• Perform process capability analysis.
• Support/execute manufacturing trials and pilot builds.
• Resolve manufacturing-process failures through root-cause analysis.
• Demonstrate process stability and capability before production release.
• Support process validation with Quality/Process Validation Engineering.
• Conduct process capability studies, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Integrate different manufacturing techniques to improve efficiency and yield.
• Prepare and release the process for transfer to Production with validated parameters, tooling and instructions.
• Support Production during ramp-up and ensure stability and capability targets.
• Define and track key manufacturing KPIs to meet cost, throughput, and quality targets.

Skills

Problem-solving

Cross-functional teamwork

English communication

Education

Master’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Materials, or Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

CAD/CAM software

Job description

We are seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to design, optimize, and scale the production processes of our complex technologies. You will work closely with R&D, Production, Quality, and suppliers. Your role is to design, develop and implement systems and processes that enable our production mechanics to build and assemble our products.

This is an engineering role for someone with a strong mechanical background who enjoys scaling production from prototype to repeatable and scalable production. The ideal candidate bridges advanced scientific innovation with practical manufacturing solutions to enable the production of our high-tech products. This role requires technical expertise, process-oriented thinking, and hands-on mentality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and optimize manufacturing processes for the manufacturing of high-precision, high-complexity products

• Collaborate with R&D, design, and quality teams to translate prototypes into scalable production solutions.

• Develop process documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and training materials for production staff.

• Define tooling, fixtures and production equipment.

• Establish process controls and manufacturing acceptance criteria together with Quality.

• Perform process capability analysis.

• Support/execute manufacturing trials and pilot builds.

• Resolve manufacturing-process failures through structured root-cause analysis.

• Demonstrate that the manufacturing process is stable, repeatable and capable before production release.

• Support process validation with Quality/Process Validation Engineering.

• Conduct process capability studies, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Integrate different manufacturing techniques to improve efficiency and yield.

• Prepare and release the manufacturing process for transfer to Production, including validated process parameters, tooling and equipment, work instructions, quality controls, training and demonstrated process capability.

• Support Production during ramp-up and resolve manufacturing-process issues until the process reaches agreed stability and capability targets.

• Define and track key manufacturing KPIs, working to achieve cost, throughput, and quality targets.

Why Join Us:

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

• Dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive work environment in Amsterdam.

• Enjoy regular team activities and company events

• Fresh team lunches provided 5 times / week

Required Background:

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Materials, or Manufacturing Engineering

• 3+ years’ experience in manufacturing engineering, preferably in deep tech, semiconductor, advanced materials, or high-tech scale-up environments.

• Good understanding of process development and scale-up methodologies.

• Hands-on experience with assembly and manufacturing technologies.

• Proficiency in CAD/CAM software.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work cross-functionally in fast-paced, innovative teams.

• Strong communication skills in English; Dutch is a plus.

Desired Attributes

• Passion for translating cutting-edge technologies into real-world products.

• Mindset oriented towards experimentation, rapid iteration, and continuous improvement.

• Ability to operate in ambiguity and contribute to early-stage process definition.

• Curiosity about emerging manufacturing technologies and a willingness to challenge conventional practices.

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.