Senior Mechanical Engineer (OptiArray)

Optics11 is a fast-growing high-tech company based in Amsterdam, developing advanced fiber optic sensing systems for the most demanding environments. Our technology detects the earliest signs of failure in critical assets – from high-voltage energy infrastructure to subsea and defense applications – and gives our customers precise, real-time data they can act on.

Within our Underwater Security business we develop sensing technologies that help detect and monitor underwater threats. Our solutions include OptiBarrier, designed for immediate, over-the-horizon threat detection, and OptiArray, our low-power optical thin-line towed array for unmanned underwater vehicles and submarines.

The Role

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Optics11, you are responsible for the development and engineering realization of the OptiArray system. Your primary objective is to develop robust, structural, easy to manufacture solutions that ensure the array can be easily manufactured, deployed, and operated throughout their intended service life.

You translate allocated product and system requirements into engineering solutions that provide structural integrity, mechanical robustness, corrosion resistance, manufacturability, and reliable offshore deployment.

You work closely with Product System Engineering, Product Integration, Verification & Validation, Lifecycle Engineering, manufacturing partners, offshore contractors, and specialized suppliers to ensure the array is successfully developed and realized as part of the overall product.

Responsibilities

• Develop and realize the OptiArray subsystems throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Translate allocated product and system requirements into robust, easy to manufacture structural solutions for offshore deployment and long-term subsea operation.

• Integrate subsystem assemblies / design into a functioning, robust product.

• Adapt structural designs to accommodate varying sea conditions and deployment environments while maintaining product integrity and standardization where possible.

• Produce subsystem specifications, engineering drawings, interface documentation, calculations, and design records.

• Improve subsystem robustness, manufacturability, maintainability, and lifecycle performance throughout development.

• Develop prototypes and engineering models to evaluate structural performance and manufacturability.

• Perform engineering analyses and testing to evaluate structural integrity, lifting loads, fatigue performance, hydrodynamic behaviour, and environmental robustness.

• Join design reviews, DFMEA sessions of submodules. Give input to improve overall system performance / to meet system requirements.

• Support Verification & Validation by providing technical expertise during structural verification and qualification activities.

• Support fabrication suppliers and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) activities by providing technical expertise and assessing structural assemblies against engineering specifications.

• Share engineering knowledge, lessons learned, and best practices to strengthen team capability and improve future engineering execution.

• Provide constructive feedback and support peers in solving technical challenges.

• Contribute to a collaborative and knowledge-sharing engineering culture.

What we offer

• Join one of Europe’s fastest-growing deep-tech scale-ups.

• Real impact: your work directly shapes our growth and success.

• A great team in an international organization with colleagues from more than twenty nationalities.

• A competitive salary and benefits package.

• 30 days of holiday per year.

• Fresh team lunches five times a week, plus regular team activities and company events.

Requirements

• BSc or MSc in Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.

• Minimum 5 years of experience developing mechanical systems that are used in harsh environments.

• Hands on design experience for systems / products that requires qualification against military (environmental) standards.

• Proficiency in working with SolidWorks or equivalent CAD systems to develop and review mechanical designs, assemblies, engineering drawings, and technical documentation.

• Experience designing marine products or subsea mechanical systems.

• Experience performing structural calculations, load analysis, fatigue assessment, and mechanical interface design.

• Experience working with fabrication suppliers and manufacturing partners.

• Experience working within multidisciplinary product development teams.

• Strong analytical and structured engineering problem-solving skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Eligible to obtain EU/NATO security clearance.

Preferred

• Experience with corrosion protection, cathodic protection, offshore coatings, or subsea structural design.

• Hands-on experience with SolidWorks for mechanical design, assembly modelling, and detailed production drawings.

• Experience taking ownership of a system or significant technical workstream within multidisciplinary engineering projects.

• Familiarity with systems engineering, product lifecycle management, verification, and configuration management.

Screening

You will work with clients in the defense and security sectors. Obtaining a Certificate of No Objection issued by the AIVD, the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service, is mandatory. This means you will need to undergo a security screening. We will explain the process and guide you through the applicable requirements.

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