Team Lead Systems Engineering

Job Description:

Company Description:

Founded in 1948, Lely is committed to a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable future in agriculture. Driven by the challenges faced by farmers and the needs of cows, we develop high-quality robots and data systems that improve animal welfare, flexibility, and productivity on dairy farms. Our mission is to support sustainable food production.
For more than 30 years, we have been a global leader in the sale and service of automated systems for successive generations of dairy farmers. Every day, we inspire our colleagues to offer customers innovative solutions and to be a reliable partner for long-term advice and support. With our state-of-the-art Lely Campus in Maassluis and a global network of dedicated Lely Centers offering customized sales and service, Lely is active in more than fifty countries.

Job Description:

As Team Lead Systems Engineering, you play a key role in the development of the next generation of Lely products. Our robotic systems are complex, multidisciplinary, and used daily by dairy farmers around the world. Systems Engineering is at the heart of how we design, develop, and deliver these solutions.
In this role, you combine technical leadership with people leadership. You are responsible for guiding and developing a team of 7 to 12 Systems Engineers, helping them grow both professionally and personally. At the same time, you remain closely involved in the technical content, contributing your expertise to challenging development projects.
You create an environment in which engineers can thrive, collaborate effectively, and continue to develop their skills. By connecting people, disciplines, and ideas, you help ensure that our teams deliver integrated, high-quality solutions that create real value for our customers.This is a role for someone who enjoys combining technical depth with people development and who is motivated by helping both products and teams perform at their best.
Your main responsibilities
* Leading, coaching, and developing a team of Systems Engineers with diverse technical backgrounds and areas of expertise
* Fostering strong collaboration across disciplines to enable seamless system integration
* Contributing technically to development projects while supporting sound system-level decision-making
* Driving the continuous improvement of Systems Engineering practices, with a strong focus on value creation
* Supporting the technical growth, leadership development, and long-term success of your team member

Qualifications:

You are an experienced engineering leader who combines technical depth with a collaborative leadership style. You enjoy working in multidisciplinary environments, guiding teams through complexity, and helping both people and products reach their full potential.
You will likely recognize yourself in much of the following:
* A completed BSc or MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
* Extensive experience in robotics, mechatronics, or other complex multidisciplinary product development environments where Systems Engineering plays a central role
* Proven leadership experience, for example as a Team Lead, Lead Engineer, or Senior Engineer with coaching or managerial responsibilities
* A strong track record of developing and mentoring engineers, helping them grow both technically and professionally
* Excellent problem-solving and communication skills, with a structured and pragmatic approach
* The ability to work effectively across disciplines, align diverse stakeholders, and adapt to an evolving organizational environment

Additional Information:

Working at Lely means contributing to sustainable progress within one of the most innovative organizations in the Netherlands. You help make the agricultural sector more futureproof, and we ensure you have the space, resources, and support to do so.
* An international work environment that values collaboration, initiative, and diverse perspectives.
* A culture that encourages learning, experimentation, and ownership of ideas.
* Excellent employment conditions, including up to 8 weeks of vacation per year and a strong pension scheme.
* A salary range of EUR6,600 - EUR9,400 gross per month, with clear opportunities for growth within the scale.
* Full ownership of your own development, with access to a wide range of courses through the Lely Academy.
* Daily access to outstanding sports facilities at the Lely Campus: an indoor gym, outdoor padel courts, basketball and volleyball courts, table tennis, and table football. You can join Hyrox workouts or sign up for personal training and challenge your colleagues during an active break.
* Fresh coffee and tea from our own barista (with milk from our own farm) and a healthy, affordable company restaurant.

Work-life balance

* A healthy work-life balance thanks to our hybrid working policy: you work at least three days a week on Campus, with flexible hours and plenty of opportunity to spend additional time onsite (between 06:00 and 20:00).
* A free shuttle bus that takes you to and from the metro station in Maassluis, ensuring your workday starts and ends smoothly.
* And of course: we love to celebrate! Whether it's an anniversary or the annual Christmas party. At Lely, we know how to do it. For an impression of our events, take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WA3e0WHbxE
We are also proud that our vision and efforts have been recognized with the Rotterdam Entrepreneurs Award 2025.

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