Systems Architect for imaging and photonic systems

Steer the prototyping and product development of novel imaging and photonic systems

Within the imec Solutions department, we build application-oriented prototypes around unique imec chip-level technology. Together with the component experts, we innovate at the system level to bring these imec technologies to the next level and to bridge the gap between research and industry. A system here is composed of an innovative microchip or sensor, combined with custom or off-the-shelf electronics, optics, mechanics, fluidics and both embedded and application specific algorithms and control software. Our mission is to demonstrate and validate these systems in a relevant environment and generate valuable data for our customers. We are building a multidisciplinary team that has expertise in system engineering, mechanics, electronics, optics, software, product development and quality systems.

Some examples of applications are:

• COVID-19 breathalyzer
• Alzheimer’s Disease, through the eyes of a hyperspectral camera
• imec hyperspectral
• lens free microscopy
• Latest Neuropixels probes can track neurons over weeks

We are looking for an experienced System Architect to join our team in Leuven, to steer the prototyping and product development of novel imaging and photonic systems for applications in biomanufacturing, life sciences, biomedical and machine vision applications. You will assist in defining projects, product requirement and in technically steering both internal and external development teams. You will be responsible for identifying the subsystems, interfaces and describing the principle of operation and component functionality. You will assess the maturity levels (TRL/SRL) of each subcomponent and handle trade-offs & risks at system level. You will work together with various sub-system development teams to keep the technical overview up to date and highlight system performance and risks accordingly. You will report your progress, both to internal as well as external stakeholders.

In this job, your main activities will be:

• Build a high-level overview of system functionality, identify subsystems, interfaces and assess their maturity level
• Identify, highlight, and communicate the impact of design choices of components/sub-systems at the system level
• Perform analysis at system/sub-system level to monitor the interdependencies; assess critical specs, anticipate risks and bottlenecks
• Model, simulate or estimate performance at the correct abstraction level to master complex systems
• Develop and maintain a system level technical dashboard to keep track of system/sub-system development
• Collect requirements, own the system architecture and maintain relevant design control documents (risk analysis, design review, verification plans and others)
• Quickly adapt to new project requirements and effectively manage change requests.