Lead Control Engineer | Delft

Want to make your mark on our time? Become a Lead Control Engineer at TNO in Delft!

What will be your role?

Pushing the performance of high-tech instruments to its ultimate limits requires in-depth knowledge of dynamics and control. Will you help us to make the impossible possible?

The research group Optomechatronics develops optomechanical and mechatronic systems for extreme performance in demanding environments. We push the limits of technology; to stimulate industry and enable scientific discovery. In addition to our internal research programs we execute large commercial projects for customers in the domains of Space & Science instrumentation and Semiconductor Equipment. Typical application domains for our dynamics & control specialists are ground-based astronomy (including adaptive optics), and free-space optical communication (including accurate pointing control of narrow laser beams). The role of the group within the strong global position of the Dutch mechatronics industry is that of supplier of breakthrough technology. The group has a close collaboration with several universities and research institutes and a large network in industry.

As the control lead in complex Space and Semiconductor projects you are responsible for leading a team of 2-3 dynamics & control specialists and engineers and act as the point-of-contact for the control discipline within a mechatronic project.

What we expect from you

To do this, you have a MSc and preferably a PhD in mechanical engineering with a specialization in control, preferably with at least 5 years working experience. You have a pioneering mentality, and you are comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with scientific and engineering challenges. With your excellent communication skills, energy, creativity and a boundless curiosity, you can motivate, convince and inspire colleagues and customers alike. you need to be creative and have a good understanding of the concepts of control design and engineering, and are aware of the possibilities and challenges of high-performance control in mechatronic systems. Besides, you also need to have excellent communication skills, have a highly cooperative mindset to work closely together with the control engineers, system engineer and the other project members. Moreover, you enjoy interfacing with partners, subcontractors, suppliers and customers, take responsibility of monitoring schedule and progress of the control team within a project, and are focused in steering the control team towards the desired performance results in the targeted time.

We expect you to have experience with mechatronic system design in general, and with dynamic behavior of mechanical systems and their motion control in particular. Therefore, you know the importance of dynamic modeling, both lumped-mass and finite-element, especially when designing complex mechatronic systems from scratch, and can communicate with experts in these fields. Moreover, you are aware of the importance of feedback control and frequency-domain analyses, both in design and experimental phases, and are familiar with the language and terminology of control specialists; you can interpret Bode and Nyquist diagrams and spectral density plots, and can relate these to mechanical system properties or disturbance sources. You acknowledge the value of data in e.g. dynamic system identification, controller design and performance evaluation, but also realize how challenging experimental project phases can be. You are able to oversee the required mechatronics- and control-related efforts in a new project, are able to make realistic schedule and cost estimates, and put the right people on the right tasks. You have sufficient knowledge and experience with control and mechatronics yourself, to potentially pick up some of these tasks yourself if needed.

You also enjoy the managerial part of the lead role, in terms of monitoring the team’s progress and facilitating your team with tools and resources. You are honest, transparent, have trust in your control specialists and dare to take responsibility of their results. You can interface with the system engineer to downflow and translate relevant requirements to the control team and return important results back to the system engineer. You enjoy interfacing with suppliers and partners and have experience with deriving specifications for required hardware and defining acceptance tests.

This role can be based in either Delft or Eindhoven. We expect you to be flexible and willing to travel between these two locations.

What you'll get in return

Challenging and varied work with a real impact. And plenty of opportunities as, at TNO, you are in charge of shaping your career. We offer a gross monthly salary between € 4086,- and € 5521,- (based on your knowledge and experience), 8% holiday pay, a 13th month bonus of 8.33% and a flex budget (5.58% + € 180). In addition, you will be given every opportunity to develop yourself.

TNO offers optional employee benefits, enabling you to tailor your benefits package to match your personal situation. You may also expect:

• An extremely professional, innovative working environment where colleagues are leading experts in their field.
• The opportunity to attend courses, workshops and conferences, and to receive training and coaching based on your needs.
• 33 days annual leave on a full-time basis.
• We offer a comprehensive and flexible mobility plan that also includes full compensation for public transportation for commuting and business travel[OPTIONAL] or a leased car.
• Great social events with your team and other TNO colleagues. That’s how you will get to know a lot of people really quickly.
• Flexible working hours, the possibility to work parttime (32 of 36 hours) and the possibility of working from home.
• A good pension scheme.

TNO as an employer

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world.