Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – (Rolling) Contact Mechanics

What you will do

Precision Mechanical Design Expertise

• Contribute to the mechanical design of next generation Archimedes Drive, from concept through industrialization.
• Apply expertise in rolling-contact mechanics to solve design problems effectively and efficiently.
• Translate product and customer requirements into robust, manufacturable high-precision mechanical solutions.
• Own critical design decisions related to contact behavior, tolerances, lifetime and performance.
• Perform and review:
  • Tolerance stack-ups
  • Finite element simulations
  • Design validation and failure analysis of precision steel assemblies
• Deliver clear, high-quality production drawings and technical documentation.
• Support prototype building, testing, and iteration in close collaboration with test and assembly engineers.

Design & Engineering Excellence

• Act as a technical authority within the mechanical design team.
• Contribute to design reviews, acting as a bridge between R&D, Commercial, and Production to ensure design intent is executed with rigor and excellence.

Product Development & Industrialization

• Help structure and improve the engineering workflow, including: 
  • Design reviews and gated development phases
  • Interface definition and documentation
  • Change management and version control
  • Design for manufacturability and scalability
• Bring best practices from more mature organizations and adapt them pragmatically to a scale-up environment.
• Support the transition from development projects to repeatable product platforms.
• Ensure strong alignment between design intent, manufacturing, and assembly.

Who you are

You don’t need a PhD—we are designing and building products, not doing academic research. You do, however, have the following characteristics:

• Deep technical expertise in precision mechanical systems, capable of making sound engineering decisions under uncertainty.
• Naturally takes ownership and leads through technical clarity and credibility.
• Balances engineering rigor with pragmatic execution.
• Highly organized and effective in a fast-paced, scale-up environment.
• Motivated to grow into a technical leadership role.

Requirements (Critical)

• MSc level of thinking, through education or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of experience in high-precision mechanical design.
• Based in the Netherlands with reliable commute to Delft (no relocation support provided).
• Demonstrable knowledge of rolling contact mechanics and ability to apply this to design engineering.
• Solid understanding of:
  • Manufacturability and tolerances in precision assemblies
  • Steel manufacturing processes and machining constraints
• Experience working in structured engineering environments (clear processes, reviews, and documentation).
• Proven ability to lead and guide design processes in an engineering environment.
• Hands‑on, solution‑oriented, and comfortable working under pressure.
• Able to work independently while collaborating closely with others.
• Strong, professional command of English, with the ability to communicate complex technical topics fluently.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience designing high-load rotational components. (e.g. bearings, precision gears, train wheels, camshafts, drivetrains, lead/ball screws, robotic joints, or comparable systems requiring in-depth application of contact mechanics).
• Experience bringing complex mechanical products from prototypes to production.
• Exposure to start-up or scale‑up environments.
• Experience mentoring engineers or leading small technical teams. 

What We Offer

• A senior, impactful role in a growing deep‑tech company.
• Competitive salary with equity participation, everyone shares in IMSystems’ success.
• High autonomy and real ownership.
• The opportunity to shape both product development and engineering culture.
• Strong support for professional growth and future leadership development.
• A motivated, collaborative team working on breakthrough mechatronics technology.
• Participation in a Collective Labor Agreement (CAO Metaalbewerkingsbedrijf).
• Pension contribution scheme.

‍