Chief Product Officer (CPO) – Freelance

Chief Product Officer (CPO) – Freelance – Snellium

Location: Brussels, Belgium (hybrid, with on-site presence)

Contract: Freelance/independent consultant

Company: Snellium

Snellium is a Belgian deep-tech start-up founded in 2021 by two former university researchers, specialising in optical metrology, developing advanced quality control solutions for the glass inspection industry using state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms and optical measurement techniques.

With a strong focus on research and development, Snellium designs innovative optical diagnostic systems tailored to industrial needs, delivering higher accuracy and precision than existing inspection technologies. Our ambition is to redefine quality control standards for transparent and specular materials.

As our systems move from prototypes to industrial deployments at customer sites, we are looking for an experienced freelance Chief Product Officer (CPO) to take ownership of product delivery — making sure every system we ship meets our customers’ expectations, complies with the applicable certifications and regulations, and reaches its destination on time.

As Snellium’s Chief Product Officer (CPO), you will oversee the end-to-end delivery of our products, from gathering customer requirements to final deployment. You will translate customer needs into clear product specifications, draft and review technical documentation, contribute to product design and upgrades, organise and coordinate tests and pilot projects, ensure regulatory compliance and certification, and manage shipping and logistics. You will also lead the Engineering & Manufacturing (EM) team and act as a key point of contact for customers throughout the product delivery process.

Customer Requirements & Product Specifications

• Gather and analyse customer requirements, and translate them into clear, verifiable product specifications.
• Align specifications with the R&D, software, and EM teams, and keep them up to date throughout the project.
• Define acceptance criteria together with the customer before delivery.

Technical Documentation

• Draft, review, and maintain technical documentation: specifications, user and installation manuals, test reports, and delivery documents.
• Ensure documentation is complete, consistent, and ready for customers, certification bodies, and internal teams.

Product Design & Upgrades

• Contribute to product design decisions and to the definition of upgrades and new product versions.
• Feed field experience and customer feedback back into the product roadmap.

Tests & Pilot Projects

• Organise and coordinate test campaigns, factory acceptance tests (FAT), and site acceptance tests (SAT).
• Plan and run pilot projects with customers, from setup to evaluation and transition to full deployment.

Product Delivery & Deployment

• Own the end-to-end delivery of our optical inspection systems, from final integration to installation and acceptance at the customer site.
• Ensure every delivered product meets the agreed specifications, quality standards, and customer expectations.
• Define and follow up delivery plans and milestones together with the technical teams.

Certifications & Regulations

• Identify the certifications and regulatory requirements applicable to our products and markets (e.g. CE marking, Machinery, Low Voltage and EMC directives, laser and machine safety).
• Drive the certification process, coordinate with notified bodies and test laboratories, and maintain the technical file and compliance documentation.
• Monitor regulatory changes and anticipate their impact on our products.

Shipping & Logistics

• Organise the shipping of our systems to customers in Europe and abroad, including packaging, transport, insurance, customs, and export documentation.
• Anticipate and solve shipping challenges for sensitive, high-precision optical equipment.
• Manage logistics with suppliers, freight forwarders, and partners to secure lead times and costs.

Leading the Engineering & Manufacturing (EM) Team

• Lead Snellium’s EM team: set priorities, plan workload, and follow up on progress.
• Coordinate with R&D and software teams so that development, manufacturing, and delivery stay aligned.
• Put in place lean processes, tools, and documentation that let the team scale with the company.

Customer Relations

• Act as a key point of contact for customers throughout the product delivery process, from requirements to acceptance and after-sales.
• Manage expectations, communicate progress clearly, and handle escalations constructively.
• Collect customer feedback and turn it into product improvements.

Experience & Background

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience (typically 8+ years) in product management, product delivery, or operations for industrial equipment, machines, or instruments.
• Track record of taking hardware products from customer requirements to deployment, ideally in a start-up or scale-up context.
• Experience in optics, metrology, machine vision, or the glass industry is a strong asset.

Technical & Operational Skills

• Ability to write clear product specifications and high-quality technical documentation.
• Experience organising test campaigns, acceptance tests, and pilot projects with industrial customers.
• Solid knowledge of CE marking and European product regulations for industrial equipment.
• Hands-on experience with international shipping, export, and customs procedures.
• Strong project and team management skills, with the ability to lead engineering and manufacturing teams.

Soft Skills & Other

• Pragmatic, structured, and solution-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Excellent communicator, able to build trust with customers, partners, and the team.
• Comfortable working autonomously in a fast-moving start-up environment.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken); French is a plus, and other languages are an asset.
• Available for regular on-site presence in Brussels and occasional travel to customer sites.

• A freelance mission with a key leadership role in a growing deep-tech start-up.
• Real ownership and direct impact on how our products are specified, tested, and delivered to our customers.
• Flexible organisation of the mission, combining remote work and on-site presence.
• A stimulating, multicultural, and multidisciplinary work environment.
• The opportunity to shape our product, compliance, and customer processes as the company scales.

This position is open to freelancers only. Instead of a fixed remuneration, we invite you to send us your own proposal. Please include:

• Your proposed fee (daily rate or monthly fixed fee, excluding VAT).
• Your availability: expected start date and time commitment (days per week or per month).
• Your preferred collaboration model and any conditions (travel, on-site presence, mission duration).
• A short description of how you would approach the first 3 months of the mission.

• If interested, please send your CV and your offer by email to contact@snellium.com