Full-Time
Lead System Engineer
Updated on 9/12/2026
Zeiss
1,001-5,000 employees
Corporate venture capital for deep-tech startups
No salary listed
Oberkochen, Germany
Remote
Willingness to travel is required.
Bachelor's, PhD
 Mechanical Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- A very well-completed degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, physics, physical engineering, or a comparable field and several years of professional experience.
- Proven experience developing automated process flows and/or process modules for complex tools or machines.
- Experience in electron microscopy.
- Experience in product development of complex systems and machines, including requirements engineering, interface management, and verification and validation.
- Profound knowledge of system architecture and the development of modular solutions, with a strong understanding of automation, controls, and end-to-end process integration.
- Strong analytical thinking, systematic working methods, and problem-solving skills, especially in troubleshooting complex automated process chains.
- Ability to collaborate and communicate cross-functionally with application, software, hardware, manufacturing, service, and customer stakeholders.
- Very good English skills.
- Willingness to work in a highly dynamic work environment.
- Willingness to travel.
- Take technical ownership of the development of fully automated focused ion beam scanning electron microscope process flows and process modules, and translate them into system requirements for a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope-based three-dimensional tomography inspection and metrology tool for semiconductor wafers.
- Define the overall automation and process concept, including workflow orchestration, recipe strategy, tool states, error handling, and recovery concepts, in close alignment with application engineering and customer use cases.
- Lead system and machine design, requirements definition, and architecture across mechanics, process modules, electronics, software, controls, sensors, and infrastructure.
- Drive the design and implementation of automated process modules and their robust interaction across the complete process chain.
- Define and maintain the system requirements specification, interface descriptions, and system-level test and validation strategy in collaboration with product management and technical experts.
- Collaborate with the Lead Software Architect to enable hardware-software co-development and align control concepts, automation architecture, process flows, and data flows across all layers.
- Establish system-level strategies for closed-loop control and monitoring, including metrology feedback, sensor fusion, and drift compensation, to achieve repeatable automated processing at scale.
- Coordinate interdisciplinary development among system engineers, product developers, project management, and key stakeholders.
- Translate system performance targets, including resolution, throughput, stability, availability, and reliability, into technical requirements and verify them through suitable test concepts.
- Guide feasibility studies, concept evaluations, and trade-off analyses for critical subsystems, interfaces, and automation concepts.
- Assess and mitigate technical risks, manage change requests, and ensure end-to-end traceability from customer use cases to realized automated functions.
- Act as the technical contact for the product within the project and represent system engineering in reviews, design boards, and customer discussions.
- Foster technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the system engineering community.
- A PhD is advantageous.
- Experience with focused ion beam technology and three-dimensional tomography workflows.
- Experience in semiconductor manufacturing, inspection, or metrology environments.
- Experience in the semiconductor environment.
- Knowledge of programming languages, software development, and/or data and automation frameworks.
ZEISS Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of the ZEISS Group, investing in deep-tech startups in Information Technology, Industrial Tech, MedTech, and Life Sciences. It backs early-stage companies at pre-Series A to Series A with typical investments of $1–5 million. The fund provides capital and tailored funding solutions, leveraging ZEISS’s global network and optics/optoelectronics expertise to support portfolio companies. Its goal is to accelerate the development of new technologies and business models that complement ZEISS’s portfolio while actively engaging with external innovation.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Growth Equity (Non-Venture Capital)
Total Funding
$67.7M
Headquarters
Oberkochen, Germany
Founded
2001
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- ZEISS Ventures led SeeTrue's €2.2 million round on 2026-08-05, reinforcing eye-tracking leadership.
- ZEISS backed Maculaser and Custom Surgical in 2026, deepening ophthalmology innovation pipelines.
- ZEISS launched Otus ML 1.4/35, Panoptes 65, and DuraVision Plus in 2026.
What critics are saying
- ZEISS Meditec plans up to 1,000 job cuts through 2028/29 after 5.7% revenue decline.
- ProfitUp requires over €150m restructuring costs, signaling weak margins and execution strain.
- If ophthalmology turnaround fails, ZEISS Meditec drags group cash flow and venture appetite.
What makes Zeiss unique
- ZEISS Ventures backs deep-tech tied to ZEISS optics, medtech, and industrial workflows.
- ZEISS brings distribution, engineering, and clinical validation to early startups like Custom Surgical.
- ZEISS spans lenses, microscopy, and eye care, creating cross-selling across adjacent markets.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Paid Vacation
Performance Bonus
Company News
ZEISS Medical Technology has launched a cataract-only configuration of its DORC EVA NEXUS ophthalmic surgical system. The system features a cataract grade selection with up to four programmable presets, allowing surgeons to optimise phaco, aspiration, and irrigation settings for each surgical step. The solution includes VacuFlow VTi pump, SMART IOP, and EVA EQUIPHACO technologies, designed to provide streamlined performance, stability, and control during procedures. It integrates with the ZEISS Cataract Workflow portfolio. The system debuted at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons congress in London. It will become available in select European countries from September 2026, with global rollout pending regulatory approvals. The technology expands ZEISS's existing EVA NEXUS platform, which previously focused on retina workflows.
ZEISS Medical Technology announced FDA 510(k) clearance for ZEISS CLINIC 360, a cloud-based software solution that aggregates ophthalmic clinical data and provides advanced analytics. The browser-based platform combines diagnostic and medical data into a comprehensive patient view, helping clinicians evaluate disease progression and support treatment decisions. The solution integrates data from DICOM-enabled diagnostic devices, including ZEISS's CIRRUS, CLARUS and HFA systems, as well as third-party devices. It features disease-based summaries, interactive analysis tools, and collaboration capabilities through ZEISS Collaborative Care. ZEISS CLINIC 360 will be available in the US in early autumn 2026 on a subscription basis with low upfront costs. The platform complements ZEISS FORUM, the company's on-premise data management system, giving providers flexibility in choosing their preferred infrastructure approach.
ZEISS Ventures led a €2.2 million investment round in SeeTrue Technologies, a Finnish deep-tech company developing miniaturised eye-tracking technology. The funding will accelerate commercialisation of SeeTrue's ultra-low-power eye-sensing architecture for next-generation interfaces in smart optical systems and eyewear. SeeTrue's proprietary technology combines miniaturised sensing hardware with optimised embedded processing, enabling scalable eye-sensing capabilities with low power consumption and small hardware footprint. The technology supports gaze-based interaction and attention-aware computing across healthcare, industrial, and smart eyewear applications. The investment round includes participation from Superhero Capital and North Karelia Growth Fund, managed by Redstone Nordics. Founded in 2018 and based in Joensuu, Finland, SeeTrue develops ultra-miniature eye-tracking technology for medical optical systems, vision care, and smart wearables.
ZEISS Medical Technology has announced successful early clinical implantations of its AT LUCIA toric 721P intraocular lens, designed to treat cataracts whilst correcting astigmatism. The company is conducting an early-access clinical trial with experienced surgeons across six European countries. The lens combines an aspheric bitoric optic with a patented non-constant aberration design on a fully preloaded, hydrophobic platform. Surgeons have reported positive early impressions, highlighting the lens's precision, stability and surgical handling. Currently CE marked, the AT LUCIA toric 721P will be showcased at the International Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgery in Nuremberg from 18–20 June 2026. The lens is expected to be commercially available in select European countries later this year.
ZEISS Ventures has invested in Maculaser, a Finnish medtech company developing temperature-controlled retinal laser therapy, through a funding round co-led with M2care. The investment will support clinical development of the company's personalized treatment for retinal diseases. Founded in 2020 and based on research from Aalto University, Maculaser has developed patented technology that provides real-time temperature control during laser treatment. The non-damaging approach activates natural cellular defence mechanisms, targeting affected retinal areas early to delay or prevent progression of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic maculopathy. The technology aims to shift retinal care from managing late-stage damage to proactive vision preservation, offering an outpatient procedure that integrates into regular eye care. Maculaser plans to bring the treatment into clinical practice to benefit millions of patients worldwide.