Sensor Team Manager

We are seeking an experienced Sensor Team Manager to shape, guide, and strengthen our Sensor Team.

This leadership role focuses on developing team capabilities, implementing effective processes, advancing sensors towards robust, manufacturable products, and collaborating strategically with external partners. A large part of your role will be to continuously improve the way the team operates and enhance how team members execute within the product development process, while structuring ways of working and mentoring through your industry experience.

Optics11 is a fast-growing technology business that has developed cutting edge sensor systems providing unique solutions for energy and defense applications that involve precise measurements in challenging environments.

Responsibilities:

• Lead & Inspire: Build and lead a multidisciplinary Sensor Team of mechanical engineers and sensor developers. Assign team members to the right projects based on their strengths, set stretched goals, and foster a culture of accountability and innovation. Run performance cycles, provide clear feedback, and forecast and drive hiring and recruitment to build the right team for current and future challenges.

• Develop People & Drive Improvement: Continuously grow your team's capabilities through mentoring and sharing your industry experience. Collaborate with Product Owners and Technical Project Managers to identify improvement areas in execution and team performance and translate these into actionable development plans.

• Structure & Optimize Ways of Working: Design and implement efficient development processes and workflows. Support structured planning and review cycles that improve delivery, quality, and team efficiency.

• Drive Operational Excellence: Set clear standards for documentation, quality, and development methods. Remove bottlenecks and lead continuous improvement initiatives to ensure smooth, scalable team operations.

• Manage External Partnerships: Collaborate with external partners and suppliers to align on objectives and ensure high-quality, timely outcomes.

• Strategic Contribution: Work with leadership to align team priorities with product roadmaps and long-term strategy, shaping the future direction of sensor development at Optics11.

What's in it for you:

• A dynamic, innovative, and fast-growing international environment where you can shape how a technical team operates and scales.

• A leadership role with significant impact on team performance, product development, and organizational growth.

• Opportunities for personal and professional development.

• The chance to work with talented colleagues and external partners on cutting-edge technology.

What We're Looking For:

• MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.

• Experience developing technologies into robust, manufacturable products, including validation and industrialization.

  • Solid project management skills with experience in planning, executing, and delivering technical projects.

  • Structured thinker with a proactive, hands-on, result-driven mindset able to support in problem solving where needed.

• 3–5+ years of leadership or management experience in a multi-disciplinary R&D or engineering environment.

  • Excellent leadership, mentoring, and communication skills.

  • Experience in hiring, developing, and evaluating teams, including performance cycles and structured goal setting.

• Proven ability to structure and optimize development processes and drive operational improvements.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with external partners or suppliers in technical development.

• Experience in sensor development or related fields is a plus, as is experience in underwater product development.

You'll be working with clients in the defence and security sectors, obtaining a Certificate of No Objection issued by the AIVD (Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service) is mandatory. This means you will need to undergo a security screening. For more information, please refer to details on security screening. 

More information:

So now you know we're doing awesome projects and if you see you fit the profile, we would like to get to know you. Apply and drop your details or, in case of questions, get in touch with our recruiter Dora Öveges via