Research Engineer - Laser and Optical Systems

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.