Principal Scientist - Technical Competence Centre

SMART Photonics; Eindhoven; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SMART Photonics in Eindhoven seeks a Principal Scientist to lead and connect R&D with product development, shaping our photonics technology roadmap. You will report to the CTO and communicate with global partners, customers, and internal teams to align market insights with technical strategy.

The role involves mentoring R&D staff, guiding cross‑functional collaboration, and driving forward-looking projects that translate scientific advances into real-world photonic integrated circuits.

Qualifications

• PhD in Photonics.
• 10+ years of experience in a technical, product management‑like role within the photonics ecosystem (telecom, datacom, sensing, or related fields).
• Strong written and oral communication abilities with confident presentation skills.
• Senior leadership presence with the ability to influence and guide cross‑functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Connect research capabilities with product development needs.
• Align with global partners and customers during events and remote engagements to understand needs, challenges, and goals.
• Collaborate across Engineering, Operations, and Commerce teams on multiple projects.
• Develop, improve, and translate competencies within the R&D team in collaboration with the Manager R&D.
• Lead forward-looking, company-sponsored R&D projects and initiatives.
• Lead new business proposals from a technical perspective.
• Monitor and translate the latest scientific developments from conferences and papers into SMART Photonics actions (e.g., ECOC, OFC, CIOE).
• Contribute to SMART Photonics Roadmap and translate it into concrete projects and plans.
• Mentor and coach R&D engineers, acting as a trusted technical advisor.

Education

PhD in Photonics

Job description

At SMART Photonics, we are at the forefront of photonic innovation, developing advanced photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that shape the future of technology. As a Principal Scientist, you will be part of our Technical Competence Centre, directly reporting to our CTO.

in this job you are like the brain of SMART Photonics, all we do, all we need to do, goes through this department. You collect market insights, understand the future of our technology and where we should focus, and you link this to R&D goals, possible new ideas as well as the capacity in our operations teams, in this role you need to communicate to all, so beside a technical authority, you can speak and listen to all levels in our company. our goals to support and guide us, so we can continue to create cutting-edge solutions that address real-world challenges.

Our ideal candidate combines a strong educational and academic foundation, with real insights of industry demands and expectations. If you offer the understating from potential customer perspective either from data/ telecom or the more sensing market this would be a very strong combination.

On our turn we offer you the full exposure towards our industry ecosystem, asked speaker on events, known face at the exhibition floor, and senior colleague that is asked internal for advise and guidance. on top of this we are active on the InP platforms that are in high in demand today, with the full manufacturing plant onsite. This is not an easy job, it will come with hurdles in it, however the taste of success will be worth it.

This job does not have a strict daily schedule, however recurring activates and expectation are:

• Connect research capabilities with product development needs.

• Alignment with our global partners and customers line, during events and remote to gain better understanding of their needs, challenges, and goals.

• Internal cooperation in several teams and projects together with Engineering, Operations, and Commerce.

• Develop, improve, and adjust the competencies of the R&D team together with our Manager R&D.

• Perform forward looking company sponsored research and development projects.

• Lead new business proposal efforts from a technical point of view.

• Closely follow the latest scientific developments at conferences and in papers and represent us at the key events such as ECOC, OFC and CIOE.

• Contribute to the Roadmap definition of SMART Photonics and translate the Roadmap in actual projects and development plans within SMART Photonics

• Train and coach our R&D engineers, be an example to them, a go to person and a trusted technical expert.

• A PhD degree in Photonics and on top of this, an extra 10+ years of experience in a technical, product manager position in our Photonics ecosystem such as telecom, datacom, optical communication, sensing or other applications.

• Solid industry work experience in device, application, design, and implementation of integrated photonic chips.

• Ability to effectively manage an urgent/crisis communication and drive a team to find creative and solid solutions to critical problems.

• Excellent written and oral communication abilities, along with confident presentation skills

• Seniority presence, natural authority as well as people interaction skills to face the most challenging conversation with prospects, Chief leadership and technical experts.