Photonics Reliability Engineer

Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands

About the Opportunity

A growing technology company working at the forefront of integrated photonics and optical communications is seeking a Reliability Engineer to support the development of next-generation optical systems. The organization is focused on building highly integrated photonic technologies designed to meet the rapidly increasing bandwidth requirements driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and modern telecommunications infrastructure.

By combining advanced semiconductor materials with scalable silicon-based platforms, the company is developing optical components capable of delivering extremely high data throughput while maintaining cost efficiency and manufacturability.

Role Overview

The Reliability Engineer will play an important role in ensuring the long-term performance and stability of advanced photonic devices and subsystems. This position focuses on understanding how optical components behave over time and under varying environmental conditions, translating those insights into improvements in product design, manufacturing processes, and qualification procedures.

Working across multiple engineering disciplines, the successful candidate will help transition technologies from early-stage development into reliable products ready for deployment in demanding real-world environments.

Main Responsibilities

• Plan and execute reliability and qualification testing for photonic integrated circuits, optical modules, and related hardware
• Identify potential degradation mechanisms affecting optical, electrical, thermal, or mechanical performance
• Perform failure investigations and develop root-cause analyses for device or module issues
• Create predictive models to estimate operational lifetime and reliability using laboratory and field data
• Collaborate with teams responsible for device design, fabrication, packaging, and testing to improve overall system robustness
• Assist in meeting reliability and qualification expectations required by industry partners and customers
• Contribute to the development of reliability guidelines and best practices within the engineering organization

Candidate Requirements

The role requires an engineer with strong analytical skills and hands-on experience working with photonic or semiconductor technologies in a dynamic engineering environment.

Education and Experience

• MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Physics, or a closely related technical field
• At least 5 years of professional experience in reliability engineering, quality engineering, or device qualification for optical or semiconductor technologies
• Experience working with photonic integrated circuits, laser devices, or high-speed optical communication components is preferred
• Background in failure analysis techniques and supplier or manufacturing quality evaluation
• Familiarity with data analysis tools and systems used to monitor reliability metrics, test results, and device performance trends
• Practical experience with accelerated lifetime and environmental stress testing methods such as temperature cycling, high-temperature operating life testing, mechanical stress testing, or electrostatic discharge evaluations
• Awareness of commonly used reliability standards in semiconductor or telecommunications industries
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering teams and contribute to project planning and development milestones
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving technology environment where adaptability and initiative are valued

What the Position Offers

• Competitive salary and long-term incentive opportunities
• Direct involvement in the development of advanced optical technologies
• The chance to contribute to products designed for large-scale data and AI infrastructure
• A collaborative engineering culture with a strong focus on innovation
• A role based in Eindhoven, one of Europe’s leading technology hubs

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Jack Kindell