Research Engineer - Laser and Optical Systems

1000scholars; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

UvA - University of Amsterdam is seeking a Research Engineer for Laser and Optical Systems in Amsterdam, Netherlands. You will own challenging engineering problems from idea to tested hardware within a small, fast-moving team.

You will design experiments, build prototypes, measure performance, identify failure modes, and iterate toward robust production-ready hardware, collaborating with researchers and early customers to meet real-world requirements.

Qualifications

• Master's degree, PhD, or equivalent in applied physics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, or related field.
• Hands‑on experience building and troubleshooting optical systems, ideally lasers, precision alignment, interferometry, spectroscopy, cavities, or photonic systems.
• Experience with electronics, instrumentation, and control software to work across discipline boundaries.
• An experimental mindset: turn open‑ended problems into testable ideas, learn quickly from data, keep going when first design fails.
• Initiative to own projects, communicate clearly in English, and collaborate in a small team.

Responsibilities

• Designing and building compact optical circuits with gain media, piezo and motorized actuators, optical cavities, spectroscopy cells, photonic ICs, and related components.
• Developing robotic methods to place, align, bond, and integrate optical components reproducibly.
• Building and benchmarking complete systems, such as laser sources and laser-frequency locks.
• Designing or integrating electronics, instrumentation, and control software to operate and test those systems.
• Translating prototypes into scalable production processes, fixtures, test procedures, and clear technical documentation.
• Working with researchers and early customers to understand requirements and deliver practical, reliable hardware.

Skills

Experimental mindset

English communication

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Hands-on optical systems

Electronics and control software

Own projects

Education

Master's/PhD in applied physics / optical engineering / electrical engineering / mechatronics

Tools

Automation

Optomechanics

PCB design

Embedded systems

Python

LabVIEW

Design for manufacture

Job description

Research Engineer - Laser and Optical Systems

UvA - University of Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands

€ 3,706 - € 5,760 per month gross

This is what you will do

You will take ownership of challenging engineering problems from first idea to tested hardware. In a small, fast-moving team, you will design experiments, build prototypes, measure performance, find failure modes, and iterate until a system is robust enough for production and customer use.

Your work will include:

• designing and building compact optical circuits that incorporate gain media, piezo and motorized actuators, optical cavities, spectroscopy cells, photonic integrated circuits, and related components;
• developing robotic methods to place, align, bond, and integrate optical components reproducibly;
• building and benchmarking complete systems, such as laser sources and laser-frequency locks;
• designing or integrating the electronics, instrumentation, and control software needed to operate and test those systems;
• translating prototypes into scalable production processes, fixtures, test procedures, and clear technical documentation; and
• working directly with researchers and early customers to understand requirements and deliver practical, reliable hardware.

The role offers substantial freedom and responsibility. You will be encouraged to propose solutions, make design decisions, and develop new technical capabilities—not simply execute a predefined research plan.

What we ask of you

We are looking for a curious, pragmatic engineer who enjoys difficult technical puzzles and wants to help grow a young deep-tech company. You do not need to match every item below. We would particularly like to hear from you if you bring:

• a Master's degree, PhD, or equivalent professional experience in applied physics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, or a related field;
• hands‑on experience building and troubleshooting optical systems, ideally involving lasers, precision alignment, interferometry, spectroscopy, cavities, or photonic systems;
• enough experience with electronics, instrumentation, and control software to work effectively across discipline boundaries;
• an experimental mindset: you turn open-ended problems into testable ideas, learn quickly from data, and keep going when the first design does not work;
• the initiative to own projects, communicate clearly in English, and collaborate closely in a small team. Experience with automation, optomechanical design, PCB design, embedded systems, Python or LabVIEW, precision assembly, or design for manufacture is welcome, but not required.