System Engineer

Nearfield Instruments; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Nearfield Instruments develops breakthrough metrology systems enabling atomic-scale measurements for leading semiconductor manufacturers. The System Engineer translates customer and product requirements into a balanced system architecture, delivering performance, reliability and manufacturability across the lifecycle.

You will own system budgets and interfaces, lead architecture decisions, and guide multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in a technical discipline as listed.
• 5+ years as a System Engineer in a complex high-tech environment.
• Experience in semiconductor equipment, metrology or a related advanced technology field.
• Strong ability to translate customer requirements into technical specifications and architectures.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical discussions and coordinating activities.

Responsibilities

• Own the system architecture and ensure alignment with customer/product requirements across the lifecycle.
• Translate customer needs into clear, measurable system requirements and performance specs.
• Define and maintain system budgets, interfaces, and allocations across engineering disciplines.
• Lead trade-off studies and feasibility analyses for complex system challenges.
• Identify risks early and drive mitigation with multidisciplinary teams.
• Collaborate with Product Management to align on customer needs and market direction.
• Provide system-level direction to Development & Engineering teams.
• Define verification, validation and qualification strategies with Manufacturing and Applications Engineering.
• Support system integration and performance characterization during development and customer qualification.
• Drive decisions balancing performance, cost, manufacturability, reliability and serviceability.

Skills

System architecture

Requirements translation

Trade-off studies

Stakeholder management

English fluency

Problem solving

Education

Master's degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering/Mechatronics/Electrical Engineering/Applied Physics/Optics/Control Engineering/Image Processing

Job description

Shape the future of atomic-scale semiconductor metrology

At Nearfield Instruments, we develop breakthrough metrology systems that enable the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers to measure structures with atomic-scale precision at production throughput. Our systems combine advanced physics, mechatronics, precision mechanics, software, electronics, control engineering and data science into one highly complex product.

As a System Engineer, you are responsible for translating customer and product requirements into a balanced system architecture that delivers exceptional performance, reliability, manufacturability and serviceability. You own the technical system perspective throughout the entire product lifecycle; from concept and feasibility studies to development, integration, validation and customer qualification.

You are the technical connector between Product Management, Development & Engineering, Manufacturing, Applications and our customers, ensuring every subsystem contributes to one optimized machine.

What You Will Do

As a System Engineer, you will:

• Own the system architecture and ensure compliance with customer and product requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Translate customer needs into clear, measurable system requirements and performance specifications.
• Define and maintain system performance budgets, interfaces and allocations across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Lead technical trade-off studies, feasibility analyses and architecture decisions for complex system challenges.
• Identify technical risks early and drive mitigation plans together with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Work closely with Product Management to evaluate customer requirements, market needs and future product capabilities.
• Guide Development & Engineering teams by providing system-level requirements, architecture and technical direction.
• Define verification, validation and qualification strategies together with Manufacturing, Integration & Test and Applications Engineering.
• Support system integration, performance characterization and root cause analysis during development and customer qualification.
• Drive technical decision-making while balancing performance, cost, manufacturability, reliability and serviceability.
• Act as a technical point of contact for customers, supporting technical discussions, escalations and product improvements.
• Contribute to the next generation of Nearfield's metrology platforms through continuous innovation and systems thinking.

You are a systems thinker who enjoys solving multidisciplinary engineering challenges and bringing complex technologies together into one high-performing product.

You also have:

• A Master's degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Optics, Control Engineering, Image Processing or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience as a System Engineer within a complex high-tech environment.
• Experience in semiconductor equipment, precision engineering, metrology or another advanced technology industry is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of multidisciplinary system architecture involving mechanics, electronics, software, physics and control systems.
• Experience translating customer requirements into technical specifications and system architectures.
• Proven experience developing top-down performance budgets and allocating system requirements across subsystems.
• Experience performing technical trade-off studies, feasibility analyses and risk assessments.
• Knowledge of verification, validation and system qualification methodologies.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical discussions and coordinating development activities without direct hierarchical responsibility.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills with a structured approach to complex problem solving.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A proactive, collaborative mindset and strong sense of ownership.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• When working in the Eindhoven office, travel to Rotterdam is required once per week.