Principal Systems Engineer

Are you the kind of person who cannot stop at understanding how a system works, but wants to know how it could work fundamentally better? Do you enjoy connecting the dots across hardware, embedded software, algorithms, and application software? Do you challenge established assumptions, explore new system architectures, and see opportunities beyond the boundaries of traditional motion capture? If you are driven by complex problems, curious about what is possible, and excited to shape systems from the ground up, we’d love to have you! Who is Xsens Xsens is a leading full-stack provider of sensors, software, and analytics that enable the digitization of movement. Xsens serves the entertainment, health & sports, and automation & mobility markets. Our innovations enable our customers to capitalize on the value of movement by transforming data into meaningful and actionable insights. Partnering with leading global brands such as Electronic Arts, EPIC Games, 20th Century Studios, Netflix, Toyota, Siemens, and over 1000 sports organizations/research centers/universities, Xsens is creating extraordinary outcomes that move humanity forward. Xsens is a portfolio company of Francisco Partners, visit www.xsens.com to learn more. Your role as a Principal Software at Xsens As Principal Systems Engineer, you are the senior technical thinker who connects the engineering disciplines at Xsens and makes the whole system work as one. You look beyond individual components and subsystems. Your focus is the technical coherence, behavior, and performance of the complete product and how to make it fundamentally better. You work across hardware, embedded software, algorithms, application software and external platforms. You identify dependencies and trade-offs early, define critical interfaces and help teams optimize the complete product rather than for their individual domain. We are looking for someone intensely curious, someone who challenges assumptions and explores how robotics, AI, edge computing, cloud and other high-tech domains can shape the next generation of Xsens technology. You combine that curiosity with a pragmatic, hands-on can-do mentality. You do not just explore what could be possible; you help turn it into something that works. This is a hybrid role based in Enschede, the Netherlands, with flexibility to work partially from home. Regular on-site presence is expected as you will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams and physical products. Key responsibilities: Own and evolve end-to-end system architecture and system behavior Connect the dots across hardware, embedded software, algorithms and application software into coherent products and platforms Define critical system interfaces and budgets including latency, compute, bandwidth, power, thermal performance and synchronization Identify cross-domain dependencies, technical risks and architectural trade-offs early Lead system-level design reviews and drive decisions that optimize the complete system Work closely with the Software Architect and domain leads to establish clear technical boundaries and interfaces Dive into complex multidisciplinary problems and support root-cause analysis across system layers Challenge established assumptions and bring in relevant approaches from adjacent technologies and industries Explore future architectures for robotics, physical AI, simulation, edge and cloud applications Turn new ideas into practical experiments, prototypes and scalable technical solutions Create technical clarity that enables engineering teams to move independently and faster We are looking for a highly curious, hands-on Principal Systems Engineer who thrives on challenging multidisciplinary problems. You combine broad systems thinking with enough technical depth to challenge specialists, learn unfamiliar domains quickly and turn ambiguity into a workable path forward. You have: 10+ years of experience building complex high-tech products Substantial experience in system-level or cross-domain technical leadership Proven experience designing or owning complex multidisciplinary systems Experience across several of hardware, embedded software, algorithms, networking, real-time software, robotics, edge or cloud systems Strong understanding of system interfaces, performance budgets and engineering trade-offs A track record of solving difficult problems across engineering boundaries and shipping real products Strong first-principles thinking and the ability to challenge established assumptions constructively Technical credibility to influence senior engineers without relying on formal authority Excellent English communication skills and a collaborative, low-ego mindset Experience across different industries or technology domains is a strong advantage What we value in this role You are deeply curious about technology, including areas outside your own expertise You naturally think in complete systems rather than isolated components You challenge assumptions and look beyond the traditional motion-capture solution space You have a strong can-do mentality and bias for action, experimentation and learning You move comfortably from system-level thinking to hands-on investigation You get energy from solving difficult problems that have no obvious answer Working at Xsens We value ingenious ideas, no matter where they come from. We believe diverse thoughts, voices, and backgrounds make us stronger as a company. We know that it is through collaboration with people from all walks of life that we make the most positive impact as an organization. Join Xsens’ innovative, ambitious, and international team, where your ideas and talents make an impact. Along with a competitive compensation package, we offer a range of benefits designed to support your well-being and help you thrive. 28 paid vacation days with an option to buy, sell, or carry over days, giving you flexibility to manage your time off as appropriate to your situation Tax perks for your sports memberships and bicycle purchase; so staying active is easier than ever. Flexible working hours and the option to work from home, helping you balance life and work Paid volunteer time: Through our partnership with Stichting Present, you have the opportunity to give back to the community during office hours Our partnership with Equip gives you on-demand access to a dedicated financial planner who provides clear guidance and a concrete plan for wealth building, pensions, and major life events. Enjoy company social events as well as fun, informal activities organized by our staff association. From movie nights and sports clinics to cooking classes and LAN parties, there’s always something happening to connect and have fun