MAIT Lead Engineer - FSO

Do you want to lead the verification of advanced optical communication terminals for space? At FSO Instruments, you will take a central role in defining how complex, high-reliability systems are integrated, tested, and proven ready for qualification and delivery. You combine technical depth with a structured verification mindset and know how to translate system requirements into robust test strategies, practical setups, and clear technical decisions during integration and test campaigns.

• Own the technical MAIT and verification approach for optical communication terminals, from early development through qualification and acceptance.
• Connecting teams, disciplines and stakeholders. Ensure synergy over the MAIT aspects over the multiple products that are under development with team members working both in Delft and Almelo.
• Define key integration and verification milestones and drive their execution, leading a focused MAIT team in preparing and performing test campaigns, while ensuring structured planning, clear ownership, and timely delivery of all verification activities.
• Translate system-level requirements into an end-to-end verification strategy, ensuring each requirement is allocated to the right analysis, inspection, demonstration, or test method.
• Define and govern the verification matrix and test architecture, including the decomposition of requirements across component, subsystem, and terminal-level test campaigns.
• Lead the specification of advanced test setups and measurement concepts required to verify optical, control, mechanical, electrical, and environmental performance.
• Set the technical direction for integration, alignment, calibration, and test procedures, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and suitable for high-reliability space hardware.
• Act as the technical authority during assembly, integration, and verification campaigns, making informed decisions on test readiness, configuration control, deviations, and problem resolution.
• Review and challenge product designs on alignment concept, and testability, and translate lessons learned into design improvements.
• Lead the technical interpretation of verification data and non-conformances, steering root-cause analysis and defining corrective actions to improve product robustness and verification quality.
• Guide engineers and specialists in the MAIT domain, raising technical standards, sharing best practices, and helping build a mature verification capability for future terminal programs.
• Lead the documentation effort, starting with plans and procedures going and ending with test reports.
• Lead the verification of control algorithms, embedded software, and electronics, defining how closed-loop performance, stability, interfaces, fault handling, and functional behavior are tested and validated at board, subsystem, and terminal level.

• An MSc or BSc degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Systems Engineering, or a similar technical field.
• Extensive experience in manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing of high-tech or precision systems.
• Strong experience with verification and validation of complex systems, preferably in a regulated or high-reliability environment.
• Strong organizational skills, organize the verification activities, maintain planning, keep track of process.
• Strong documentation skills and mindset in order to ensure tests are well prepared and well documented.
• The ability to translate system requirements into practical verification approaches, including test strategies, verification matrices, and test plans.
• Experience defining and using advanced test setups and measurement methods for optical, mechatronic, electrical, or environmental performance.
• A solid understanding of precision alignment, calibration, and system integration challenges in multidisciplinary products.
• Experience interpreting test data, troubleshooting anomalies, and leading root-cause analysis to closure.
• The seniority and technical confidence to guide engineers and make sound technical decisions during integration and verification campaigns.
• Excellent communication skills in English, with the ability to explain technical choices clearly to engineers, project teams, and stakeholders.

At FSO Instruments we have a ‘flat’ organization where people can easily find and help each other. We value a comfortable and inclusive workplace. There is a lot of emphasis put on personal needs and we discourage overtime, because we know how important work-life balance is. Furthermore, you can count on, among other things:

• A good, market-based salary;
• 31 days off and 8% vacation allowance;
• Possibility to work from home, maximum 2 days a week (with exception of test heavy project phases).
• A good pension plan at Zwitserleven;
• The opportunity to follow training and courses, or externally, so you can further develop your knowledge;
• A laptop and mobile phone from work;
• Bicycle plan.