Materials & Process Engineer — Optical Casting

AddOptics; Rotterdam; Hybrid; EUR 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Close-knit team

Job summary

AddOptics in Rotterdam, NL, seeks a Materials & Process Engineer to own optical casting development from material selection to production-ready SOPs. You will implement new PU systems, monomer formulations, and silicone tooling, turning lab concepts into scalable processes.

With 5+ years in optics or precision polymer processing, you’ll diagnose curing cycles, reduce bubbles and residual stress, and document workflows for the production team.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on process or materials engineering experience in optics, ophthalmic manufacturing, or precision polymer processing.
• Deep familiarity with optical casting materials — polyurethane systems, monomer formulations, silicone tooling.
• Understanding of what makes an ophthalmic lens optically acceptable: bubble-free, stress-free, dimensionally accurate.
• Experience developing and qualifying curing cycles and diagnosing issues affecting performance.
• Results-driven mindset with focus on practical solutions over textbook approaches.
• Comfort working with suppliers, asking critical questions and pushing for solutions.
• Ability to document processes clearly and train others to execute them.

Responsibilities

• Implementing new ophthalmic casting materials into production from initial evaluation to SOP-ready process.
• Eliminating bubbles, controlling shrinkage, reducing residual stress for consistent optical quality.
• Developing and optimising curing cycles that are predictable, repeatable, and scalable.
• Collaborating with material and machinery suppliers to troubleshoot and push for improvements.
• Evaluating new materials for feasibility and manufacturing compatibility.
• Writing clear SOPs so the production team can execute without direct supervision.
• Building the knowledge base and process framework for materials engineering at AddOptics.

Skills

Materials science

Optical casting

Process ownership

Supplier engagement

Education

BSc/MSc in Materials Science or related field

Tools

Silicone tooling

Curing cycle optimisation

Job description

Materials & Process Engineer — Optical Casting

Own the Process. Master the Material. Make It Production-Ready.

Location: Rotterdam, NL Commitment: Full time Experience: 5+ years

You know that getting a casting process right is equal parts science, instinct, and stubbornness.

At AddOptics, we manufacture precision ophthalmic lenses for customers across eyewear, consumer electronics, and critical technologies. As we scale and expand our material capabilities, we need someone who can take new casting materials and turn them into a stable, repeatable, production-ready process.

This is a hands-on role with full domain ownership. You'll be the expert. You'll define how we work with materials, and you'll see your processes become the standard.

What You’ll Be Working On

Implementing new ophthalmic casting materials (PU systems, monomer formulations, silicone tooling) into production — taking them from initial evaluation to stable, SOP-ready process

Solving the hard casting challenges: eliminating bubbles, controlling shrinkage, removing residual stress, and achieving consistent optical quality and ISO prescription accuracy

Developing and optimising curing cycles that are predictable, repeatable, and scalable

Working directly with material and machinery suppliers — troubleshooting together, pushing for solutions, and knowing when to try a different approach entirely

Evaluating new or alternative materials for ophthalmic lens applications — assessing feasibility, optical performance, and manufacturing compatibility

Writing clear, practical SOPs that allow the production team to execute consistently without you in the room

Building the knowledge base and process framework for materials engineering at AddOptics from the ground up

What We’re Looking For

5+ years of hands-on process or materials engineering experience in optics, ophthalmic manufacturing, or precision polymer processing

Deep familiarity with optical casting materials — polyurethane systems, monomer formulations, silicone tooling — and how they behave in practice

A solid understanding of what makes an ophthalmic lens optically acceptable: bubble-free, stress-free, dimensionally accurate, and prescription‑correct

Experience developing and qualifying curing cycles, and diagnosing what goes wrong when they don't perform

A practical, results-oriented mindset — you're more focused on finding a solution that works than on finding the textbook solution

Confidence working directly with suppliers — you can ask the right questions, evaluate their recommendations critically, and push back when needed

The ability to document processes clearly and train others to execute them reliably

A BSc or MSc in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or a related field

The Kind of Person Who Thrives Here

You've seen enough casting processes to know that the first approach rarely survives contact with reality — and that doesn't frustrate you, it interests you. You're methodical but adaptable. You care about the end result: a lens that meets spec, produced by a process that anyone on the team can follow. You take ownership not because it's in your job description, but because you genuinely want to see it done right.

What You’ll Get

Full ownership of your domain — you define how materials engineering is done at AddOptics

The satisfaction of building something from the ground up and seeing it become the standard

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