System Engineer

About Key Technology

Key Technology NV is the leading manufacturer of advanced optical inspection, transport, and sorting machines for the food industry. From our location in Hasselt, we serve customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Together with our sister companies in the Netherlands and the US, we are part of the Duravant Group.

Key Technology has a culture of professionalism, commitment, and pragmatism. We love a challenge and are happy to go the extra mile for our customers and colleagues. In addition to working hard, we also enjoy relaxing, so when there is something to celebrate, we make sure to take advantage of it. We also have an active staff association that regularly organizes fun activities.

The role:

As a System Engineer, you will be the point of contact within R&D for everything related to optics, lighting, and detection systems. You will work in multidisciplinary teams (mechanics, electronics, software, applications) and play a key role in the development of new inspection and sorting technologies.

Your job:

Optical design & system development

• Designing and modeling optical systems for sorters (LED and laser lighting, sensors, and camera setups).
• Performing ray tracing simulations and optical calculations.
• Integrating optical modules into mechanical and electronic systems.
• Drawing up test plans and validating optical performance.
• Selecting and qualifying components, suppliers, and technology partners.
• Providing support with prototype construction, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Documenting designs, analyses, and test results.

Innovation & concept development

• Conducting feasibility studies and technology assessments.
• Proactively monitoring new trends in optics, photonics, machine vision, and food processing.
• Leading small development and innovation projects within Duravant.
• Contributing to university projects, research programs, and potential grant applications.
• Supporting IP development and collaborations with external partners.

Technical expertise & collaboration

• Provide technical support to internal teams and customers.
• Collaborate with Application Engineers to ensure optimal image quality.
• Participate in design reviews, brainstorming sessions, and product development meetings.
• Act as a technical expert for new product features in the long term.

To be a successful System Engineer, you'll need the following education, experience, and skills:

• Master's degree in Optics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Sciences, or Industrial Engineering (optical focus).
• Experience with optical design software (like Zemax, TracePro, and LightTools) and scientific modeling tools.
• Knowledge of imaging techniques, spectral analysis, lighting technology, and color measurement.
• Plus points: experience with machine vision, laser systems, hyperspectral imaging.
• Strong in optical simulations, ray tracing, and tolerance analysis.
• Experience with measuring equipment (spectrometers, radiometers, and interferometers).
• Basic knowledge of CAD (SolidWorks, Creo) is an added bonus.
• Programming experience in MATLAB or Python will be a great advantage.
• Analytical, accurate, creative, and innovative.
• Eager to learn and driven to become a specialist in optical systems.
• Strong communicator who can collaborate across departments.
• Flexible and able to work independently and in a team.
• Stress-resistant and strong organizational skills.
• Comfortable in a multicultural environment.
• You speak and write fluent Dutch and English.

In return, we offer the following:

• A good work-life balance;
• Competitive salary, hospitalization insurance, group insurance, meal vouchers, and end-of-year bonus;
• Working from home is possible in consultation;
• For every new employee we hire, we donate a sum to charity.

Location:

Hasselt, Belgium

Interested?

Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities. Our HR team will be happy to talk to you about the above. You can reach us by phone at +31 345 58 58 85.

Would you like to join our team? You know what to do!