{"id":2659014,"url":"https://alion.io/job/swave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer","title":"Instrumentation Engineer","company":{"id":4005719,"name":"Swave Photonics","domain":"swave.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/swave","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["Leuven, Belgium"],"countries":["BE"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":63000,"max_usd":127000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":10},"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"closed","first_seen_at":"2026-04-23T07:06:29Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-04-23","last_verified_at":"2026-11-07T22:39:03Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":"2026-11-07T22:39:03Z","days_open":198,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":197},"description":"At Swave Photonics, we’re not just dreaming about the future: we’re building it! We are a fabless semiconductor company that designs and markets holographic chips based on proprietary diffractive photonics technology. Our mission is to enable display manufacturers and content creators to disrupt the visualization market with immersive ultra-high resolution, life-like, true holographic displays.\nImagine a world where holographic displays make the impossible possible, where visualization meets collaboration and transforms productivity. Joining Swave means being at the forefront of this revolution, shaping the future of immersive technology.\nTo drive our ambitious vision, we’re opening a position of Instrumentation Engineer.\nRole and responsibilities:\nAs an Instrumentation Engineer at Swave, you will be the bridge between theoretical physics and physical reality. You will play a vital role in the Systems team, designing and building the complex characterization and measurement setups that validate our holographic technology. Your work ensures that our proprietary chips are tested, measured, and showcased with the highest precision.\nCore Responsibilities\nSystem Design & Assembly: Plan, design, and build electronic, optical, and opto-mechanical characterization setups and demo systems from the ground up.\n\nSoftware Integration: Develop and maintain software packages (Python, C/C++) to automate instrumentation, control hardware, and integrate modules into fully functional, high-performance systems.\n\nLab Operations: Take an active lead in the day-to-day operation of Swave’s labs, including material and supply management and handling specialized orders for multiple electronic and optical labs.\n\nCross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with the Hardware and Algorithm teams to ensure characterization systems meet rigorous technical requirements and project milestones.\n\nExternal Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact for subcontractors, ensuring outsourced components meet Swave's precision standards.\n\nYou will report to Richard Stahl, Director Systems. \nLocation: This role is based in Leuven, Belgium (Hybrid).\nWhat you bring to the table:\nStrong Educational Foundation: A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Physics.\n\nInstrumentation Expertise: Hands-on industrial experience with embedded systems, metrology, and instrumentation. Ideally, you have ~5 years of experience in a similar role.\n\nCoding Proficiency: A strong track record in developing software for hardware control using Python and C/C++.\n\nOptics Interest: A genuine passion for optics and its practical applications in next-generation display technology.\n\nMeticulous Execution: A structured, careful approach to handling delicate optical components and complex electronic tasks.\n\nBonus points:\nExperience with 3D CAD tools and rapid prototyping (3D printing, CNC, etc.).\n\nFamiliarity with high-resolution imaging sensors or laser systems.\n\nExperience in a fabless semiconductor environment.\n\nSoft Skills & Personality\nAdaptable & Resilient: You thrive in a fast-paced startup environment and can pivot quickly when technical requirements evolve.\n\nCollaborative Spirit: You are a true team player with excellent interpersonal skills, comfortable communicating with diverse technical stakeholders.\n\nPragmatic Problem Solver: You are proactive in managing lab logistics and maintaining a highly organized workspace.\n\nApplicants must be currently authorized to work in Belgium on a full-time basis.\nNo visa sponsorship is available for this position.\nAbout Swave Photonics\nWe are a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with a growing presence in the US. Backed by seasoned leaders and a team of passionate engineers, we’re pioneering holographic technology at the intersection of optics, semiconductors, and systems design.\nAt Swave, you’ll find:\nA culture built on authenticity, trust, and openness.\n\nA small but ambitious team with a bias for action.\n\nAn environment where creativity and purpose drive everything we do.\n\nSpace to take ownership, experiment, and see your ideas come to life.\n\nWhat we offer you:\nWe believe the best work happens when people feel valued and inspired. That’s why we offer a competitive salary package tailored to your skills, expertise, and impact.\nAt Swave, you’ll work at the cutting edge of optics and semiconductors, where every measurement you take helps bring a world-changing technology to market. We know life doesn’t fit neatly into a 9-to-5 schedule, so we put results before hours - with flexibility and remote options where it makes sense. Our headquarters in Leuven, a city alive with technology, culture, and creativity, provides the perfect backdrop for innovation and connection.\nMost importantly, you’ll be part of an informal and supportive team where authenticity matters. Here, you can bring your true self to work, share your ideas openly, and celebrate successes together.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4993,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"Belgium","iso":"BE","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Processors, MCUs & AI Chips","Optical Communications","Semiconductor Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-15T23:59:21Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-11-07T22:39:03Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":null,"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/swave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/swave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-08T12:15:58Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":26147,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-09T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":4005719},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=4005719"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fswave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fswave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fswave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/swave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fswave-photonics-instrumentation-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":2659014}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"swave.io","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":2659014},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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