Senior Fiber-Optic Sensing Engineer & Tech Lead

Optics11; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Optics11 is seeking a Lead Optical Sensing Development Engineer to own the development and realization of advanced optical sensing solutions for demanding underwater environments. You’ll drive concepts through prototypes, testing, calibration and industrialization, leading cross-disciplinary teams while remaining hands-on in engineering tasks.

You will mentor engineers, shape technical direction, and collaborate with System Engineering, Product Integration, Verification & Validation, Lifecycle

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
• Strong experience in fiber-optic sensing and photonics.
• Solid understanding of optical physics, sensor design, optical assemblies and calibration principles.
• Experience developing and testing sensors or complex technical systems from concept through product realization.
• Hands-on experience with engineering testing, characterization, data analysis and structured problem solving.
• Experience working with environmental influences, measurement accuracy, drift, repeatability and reliability.
• Strong engineering judgement and the ability to make structured technical trade-offs.
• Experience working across disciplines and communicating complex technical topics clearly.
• The ability to take technical ownership, create clarity and drive engineering work forward in a dynamic development environment.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to mentor engineers and influence technical decisions without losing your hands-on engineering focus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and engineering realization of optical sensor subsystems throughout the product lifecycle.
• Translate product and subsystem requirements into robust optical sensing solutions.
• Develop fiber-optic sensing principles, sensor architectures, optical assemblies, packaging concepts, calibration methods and subsystem interfaces.
• Develop sensing solutions for temperature, pressure, heading and future sensing capabilities.
• Design and evaluate concepts, prototypes and engineering models through testing, characterization and analysis.
• Develop calibration methods and characterize sensor accuracy, repeatability, drift and environmental performance.
• Analyze test and verification results, identify failure modes and performance limitations, and drive technical improvements.
• Lead technical investigations, root cause analyses and engineering trade-offs related to sensor performance, stability and reliability.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to resolve integration and interface challenges.
• Support Verification & Validation and industrialization, improving manufacturability, calibration efficiency and production repeatability.
• Make and drive subsystem-level technical decisions while balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost and risk.
• Identify technical risks and dependencies early and help teams find practical solutions.
• Contribute to design reviews and multidisciplinary technical discussions, creating alignment around technical direction.
• Mentor and support engineers within the optical sensing domain while remaining an active hands-on engineering contributor.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement and long-term development of optical sensing technologies and engineering practices at Optics11.

Skills

Fiber-optic sensing

Optical sensor development

Photonic systems

Optical physics

Sensor design

Calibration methods

Data analysis

Structured problem solving

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Technical ownership

Mentoring engineers

Education

Master's or PhD in Optical Engineering or related field

Job description

Optics11 is seeking a Lead Optical Sensing Development Engineer to own the development and realization of advanced optical sensing solutions for demanding underwater environments. You’ll drive concepts through prototypes, testing, calibration and industrialization, leading cross-disciplinary teams while remaining hands-on in engineering tasks.

You will mentor engineers, shape technical direction, and collaborate with System Engineering, Product Integration, Verification & Validation, Lifecycle