Senior Hardware Systems Engineer

Aspire Life Sciences Search; Den Haag; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspire Life Sciences is seeking a Senior Hardware Systems Engineer for a leading medical technology company developing ophthalmic surgical hardware. The role requires ownership of system integration, verification, and collaboration with external partners to ensure cohesive designs and compliant testing.

You will define system requirements, assess cross-disciplinary interfaces, and produce key technical documentation while supporting ongoing device improvements.

Qualifications

• Ownership of whole-system integration and verification across mechanical, electrical, optical, firmware, and software interfaces.
• Strong technical depth in at least one hardware discipline (mechanical, electrical, or optical).
• Experience reviewing and signing off hardware designs from external partners.
• Experience in a regulated safety-critical engineering environment.
• Excellent technical writing and documentation skills.
• Willingness to travel occasionally.

Responsibilities

• Review external hardware designs and provide technical authority during design reviews.
• Own whole-system hardware integration across all interfaces.
• Identify and resolve cross-disciplinary integration issues early.
• Propose pragmatic improvements to hardware designs.
• Define and execute system-level and component-level verification and testing.
• Review external partner test results and ensure compliance.
• Translate product requirements into system/subsystem requirements for partners.
• Produce requirements, specifications, test plans/reports, and design review records.
• Support hardware design changes, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Manage deliverables and quality from external partners.
• Travel occasionally for design reviews and testing.

Skills

Systems integration

Verification & testing

Technical documentation

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

External partner management

Regulated environment knowledge

Education

Engineering degree in a hardware discipline

Job description

Our client is an innovative medical technology company developing advanced hardware systems used within ophthalmic surgery. With more than a decade of experience developing technologies for eye care, the company designs connected systems combining mechanical, electrical, optical, and software technologies to support surgical teams worldwide.

As the company continues to develop and improve its medical device platform, they are seeking an experienced Senior Hardware Systems Engineer to take technical ownership of hardware system integration, verification, and external development partners.

The role

As Senior Hardware Systems Engineer, you will act as the internal technical authority for the company's medical device hardware. You will work closely with external hardware development partners, reviewing their designs, ensuring different subsystems integrate successfully, and defining how the complete system is verified and tested.

Key responsibilities

• Review and analyse hardware designs produced by external development partners and provide technical authority during design reviews.
• Take ownership of whole-system hardware integration across mechanical, electrical, optical, firmware, and software interfaces.
• Identify and resolve cross-disciplinary integration issues early in the development process.
• Propose pragmatic improvements to existing hardware designs.
• Define and execute system-level and component-level verification and testing.
• Review and assess testing performed by external development partners.
• Translate product requirements into system and subsystem requirements that development partners can build against.
• Produce technical documentation including requirements, specifications, test plans, test reports, and design review records.
• Support hardware design changes, product improvements, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Manage technical deliverables and design quality from external hardware development partners.
• Travel occasionally to partner facilities for design reviews, integration activities, and testing.

Required experience and qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering, or another relevant hardware discipline.
• Substantial professional experience, typically 10+ years, working with complex integrated hardware systems.
• Demonstrable ownership of whole-system integration and verification, rather than responsibility for only one individual subsystem.
• Strong technical depth within at least one hardware discipline such as mechanical, electrical, or optical engineering.
• Working competence across other hardware disciplines and a strong understanding of how different subsystems physically and technically interface.
• Experience reviewing, challenging, and signing off hardware designs produced by external engineering partners.
• Proven experience resolving integration issues involving multiple engineering disciplines.
• Hands-on experience with system-level and component-level testing and verification.
• Strong technical documentation and technical writing skills.
• Experience within a regulated, safety-critical, or similarly rigorous engineering environment.
• Strong English communication skills and willingness to travel occasionally.
• Knowledge of ISO 13485, ISO 14971, IEC 60601-1, EU MDR and/or MDD.
• Experience with optical systems, imaging technologies, or optical instrumentation.
• Formal engineering expertise across more than one hardware discipline.
• Understanding of firmware and software interfaces with physical hardware.
• Experience managing technical deliverables from external engineering or development partners.

Your consultant

As a Recruitment Consultant at Aspire Life Sciences, Taylor Lyons specialises in technical and executive hiring across Medical Devices, Neurotechnology, AI, and DeepTech. Taylor partners with venture-backed startups, scale-ups, and global medical device organisations to identify exceptional talent across Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Clinical, and leadership functions throughout Europe, North America, and Asia.