Sensor Engineer

At Lely, we believe in achieving a sustainable, profitable and agreeable future for dairy farmers by combining robotisation, engineering and farming expertise.

It all started with a dream cherished by two brothers in Maassluis 75 years ago, and ever since, we have worked to become innovative market leaders in automated systems for dairy farmers across the globe. With a team of 2,500 professional specialists, we work constantly to bring about revolutionary solutions for the agro industry. We are based at our Maassluis Campus, a building which features the highest sustainability performance possible, not just in the Netherlands, but on a global scale. Our overall objective: making dairy farming interesting, also for the coming generations.

As a Sensor Engineer at Lely, you contribute to the future of sustainable and data-driven dairy farming. Sensors play a crucial role in our robotic solutions, enabling accurate measurement and intelligent decision-making in areas such as automated milking, feeding, and cow monitoring. Your expertise will directly impact cow welfare, farm efficiency, and sustainability by developing sensor systems that optimize animal health, reduce waste, and improve resource efficiency.

In this role, you will work on the full sensor development cycle—from defining requirements and designing prototypes to testing and supporting large-scale production. You will have a strong understanding of Lely’s robotic systems and will actively identify opportunities to enhance data collection and sensor-based decision-making. Collaborating with mechanical, electrical, software, and AI specialists, you will ensure seamless integration of sensor technologies into our innovative solutions.

You will also be responsible for evaluating new sensor technologies and conducting hands-on experiments in our test facilities and on farms. Your ability to analyze and interpret measurement data will be crucial in validating sensor performance and reliability. Whether optimizing existing solutions or inventing new sensor applications, your work will directly contribute to smarter, more autonomous farming solutions.

Your main responsibilities include:

• Developing sensor concepts that align with Lely’s product and technology roadmaps.
• Translating measurement and sensor needs into well-defined technical requirements.
• Reviewing mechanical and electrical designs to ensure sensor compatibility and performance.
• Designing, setting up, and executing experiments to validate sensor functionality, following the fail-fast principle.
• Supporting formal verification processes to ensure sensor systems meet industry standards.
• Collaborating closely with hardware testers, farming and cow experts, and data & AI specialists to optimize sensor applications.

• A master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline, such as electronics, mechatronics, or physics.
• At least 5 years of experience in sensor system development, integration, or testing.
• A broad understanding of sensor technologies, measurement principles, and data acquisition methods.
• Experience in setting up experiments, collecting, and analyzing measurement data.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to sensor development and testing.
• Excellent ability to document findings, report insights, and present results to stakeholders.

To address the food demand and challenge for 2050, it is crucial to handle people, animals, and the environment responsibly. For us, this means being a reliable long-term partner for our customers and passing on the world to the next generation through sustainable product development. You can contribute to realizing this dream.

What can you expect in your role as a Sensor Engineer?

• Working in an international work environment within one of the most innovative organizations in the Netherlands and also the largest robot producer in Europe. 
• Excellent employment conditions, including up to 8 weeks of vacation.
• A full-time salary scale between €4700 and €6000 gross per month where we would like to see a growth option within the scale.
• Opportunities for growth where you are in charge of your own development. 
• Space and freedom to innovate, bring in new ideas, and undertake initiatives. We not only offer this, but we also genuinely expect it. It's up to you to come up with ideas and implement them. 
• A team with enthusiastic, helpful colleagues, collaborating with product development, procurement, and other stakeholders. 
• Our Lely Academy offers various training programs, such as personality training or more job-relevant training. If you want to develop yourself but it's not in the curriculum, you discuss it with your manager. 
• The #FitatLely program with our own Lely Gym. A volleyball court, basketball court, football table, and ping pong table where you can challenge your colleagues or take a break from work. 
• Lease-a-Bike scheme to lease a new bike affordably. 
• Additionally, enjoy the services and wide range of coffee and tea from our personal barista at the Lely Campus, who makes the tastiest cappuccinos from fresh milk, directly from our own farmer from the Lely Orbiter, for example. 
• A healthy work-life balance with a hybrid policy where you are minimum 3 days on Campus. This is flexible and can be arranged in consultation with your manager. Prefer more time on our modern Campus? You are always welcome (between 06:00 a.m. and 08:00 p.m.).
• Moreover, we love to celebrate. Whether it's an anniversary or our Christmas party, at Lely, we know how to celebrate! For a feel of the atmosphere, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WA3e0WHbxE

If you want to know more about working at Lely or about the vacancy, please contact me or respond via the button.

Recruitment & selection agency, consultancy, and/or staffing agency?

We appreciate the interest, but we recruit all our candidates directly. We understand that as intermediaries, you want to present candidates for our great positions and contribute to our ambitions, but this is not how we have set up our recruitment process. This means that all unsolicited profiles offered on Lely vacancies will be treated as direct applications.