Meet our people.

A Sense of community and teamwork are the support system that TOPIC provides

Why do you work at TOPIC? 
Because I get to share a rewarding experience with a welcoming and engaged team.

How would you describe your job and what does your working day look like?
As a Software Developer for Farm-out my responsibilities entail from creating robust software, to maintaining and updating previous implementation with a combination of task management and team involvement to ensure that the deliveries from multiple modules are met timely and with top-notch quality. Every day starts by aligning with my colleagues on the progress done so far, or any help that any of us may need. We identify the coming tasks and the optimal approach to tackle any issue.  A lot of learning comes during the process to then become a successful delivery. To achieve this requires some knowledge foundation, but also the willingness to learn and cooperate during the process to share that knowledge.

Which (technical) challenges do you have in your role? 
Working in farm-out requires a great helicopter view to picture the bigger challenges of a project rather than the single matter ahead of oneself. TOPIC offers the opportunity to work with big names, and also the chance to get involve in big projects that pushes a person out of their comfort zone. Having this kind of view allows a professional to not only identify the small task requested but a solution that might cover for a bigger scope of the project.

What makes TOPIC unique?
A Sense of community and teamwork are the support system that TOPIC provides so that the project has a common goal, balanced with the desire of new challenges, and the lessons that come with them. As well as the chance to have a well-adjusted personal life within a friendly environment.

Gabriel Carrasquero | Software Developer at TOPIC

Working in the right team and project makes that I enjoy going to work every day

Why do you work at TOPIC?  
TOPIC ensures that I am always challenged in the right way. Working in the right team, project and environment makes that I enjoy going to work every day!

How would you describe your job and what does your working day look like? 
As an Embedded Software Designer, I work as a consultant at a customer of TOPIC. I work in a multidisciplinary team on the development of new medical products. My day starts with a stand-up, after which everyone gets to work. Before we start a new task, we think carefully about the architecture and design. Most tasks are not just software but also involve hardware. Good consultation is therefore very important so that we control the hardware correctly and are also as efficient as possible in terms of power consumption. Since we want to get the most out of the microcontroller, we often brainstorm how we can optimize certain parts of the code. Small experiments help to see whether our ideas are correct. When a task is completed, the code is first reviewed and system tests are done to ensure that everything works as expected. Once every two weeks we consult with the customer about the progress and the next steps we are going to take.

Which challenges do you have in your role? 
What challenges me the most is working on non-trivial problems that usually lie between the different disciplines. Within my current project we work with microcontrollers. This means that we have limitations on memory and the speed at which tasks can be performed. This, along with very low power consumption, means we must make smart decisions. When can we go to which sleep mode? Which peripherals can be turned off and which are still functional in certain sleep modes? Can we save energy by running the process in the background with DMA?

What makes TOPIC unique? 
TOPIC challenges me to develop myself on technical and personal level.

Jeroen Jacobs | Embedded Software Designer at TOPIC

I’m challenged on both technical and personal front

Why do you work at TOPIC?

Working at TOPIC allows me to work with highly skilled colleagues on various projects in various technical fields. I’m challenged on both technical and personal front, enabling my growth as a person.

How would you describe your job and what does your working day look like?

As a Scrum Master of multiple teams, I’m responsible for coaching the team in becoming high performing. This ranges from removing impediments to aligning with the customer on priorities and the progress of the team. My working days start with the stand-up where we share what we accomplished yesterday, what we aim to accomplish today, and if we face any impediments. Afterwards I do what I can to ensure that the team can operate as efficiently as possible while maintaining a happy work environment. My technical background allows me to build the bridge between the customer and the team, and the other way around.  

What makes TOPIC unique?

As a TOPIC employee your own growth and well being has the highest priority. The environment and collaboration with the Business Managers focus on improving yourself every day.

Patrick Oppelaar | Lead Engineer at TOPIC

Challenging work and personal development come first

Why do you work at TOPIC?

TOPIC offers the opportunity to take on (project-) technical challenges. This applies to junior employees but certainly also to more experienced senior employees. The wide variety of projects and assignments  help me grow both professionally and personally. Working at TOPIC means being part of a family with more than 20+ different nationalities, which creates a nice mix of cultures.

How would you describe your job and what does your working day look like?

As a Project Manager at TOPIC, my work days are never the same. I am in contact with our customers and project members about the progress and focus of the project, in order to determine how we can add the most value for our customers. In addition, as process owner of the processes in our ISO13485 and ISO27001 certified Quality Management System (QMS), I ensure that we carry out our projects efficiently and with the right quality.

Which challenges do you have in your role?

As Project Manager, I am involved in and responsible for the project results during the entire development process. From project proposal to the final release. I do this together with the development team, which consists of the account manager, architects, hardware developers, FPGA developers, software developers and of course the customer. The projects we carry out often contain a combination of hardware, FPGA and software components. From technical point of view, every project is unique, with its own complexity, and own project approach. This keeps my work challenging and fun.

What makes TOPIC unique?

TOPIC feels like a family where challenging work and personal development come first. They really listen to your personal goals and ambitions in order to find the right assignment or project for you. The horizontal and flat organizational structure makes that the door is always open for and by everyone.

Stefan Groenen | Project Manager at TOPIC

There is always an opportunity to learn while doing what I love

Why do you work at TOPIC?

I'm motivated through the impact we make to shape the world to be smarter and healthier each day. This is what the TOPIC mission is all about and this has appealed to me ever since I started working for the company. The diversity of projects and the opportunities given for personal development are also part of the reasons why I work for TOPIC. 

How would you describe your job and what does your working day looks like?

My work provides me an exciting challenge that varies day to day. As part of the hardware team, we implement a whole range of solutions in various industries; from designing medical IoT devices to developing the next generation of high-speed computing platforms - and everything in between - there is always an opportunity to learn while doing what I love.  

What makes TOPIC great to work for?

In an industry that remains male dominated, TOPIC treats women engineers with the same level of respect, interaction and opportunities as men. At TOPIC it is acknowledged that men and women have the same potential and TOPIC is keen to create more diversity by engaging more women in tech. 

Annamarie Stanton | Hardware Architect at TOPIC

It is important to me that working for TOPIC is felt as being part of a family

Better, healthier and smarter 

The TOPIC company is based on the principle that we want to make the world a better, healthier and smarter place. This is true to the core values of TOPIC. We are fortunate to work with customers and employees that share that same value. TOPIC is able to provide a highly specialised added value that allows our clients to grow. This has been our objective from the start in 1996 and since then our company has grown to over 150 employees. TOPIC is a key player in the high-tech sector. Plus, we are at the heart of Brainport and close to the universities: at the global top. 

The TOPIC family

At TOPIC, we value the personal touch and we are driven in our client approach. Their ambitions become our ambitions. It is that same personal approach in which our employees interact among each other. We coach each other and get our kicks from the amazing projects we do. In our company, we speak of the TOPIC family and a new member will be called a TOPIC’er. It is important to me that working for TOPIC is felt as being part of a family. A family where we work together, respect each other and listen to each other. In a family, everyone gets a say and that is true for TOPIC as well. Every year, we organise the Townmeeting where all TOPIC’ers get a say about the development of the company. These opinions are valued and considered by our management team. Our family events are highly appreciated and for good reasons. We work hard together but try to enjoy ourselves and each other’s company just as much. That is the family culture of TOPIC: making the world a little better, healthier and smarter every day. Together and enjoying it while we do it. 

Rieny Rijnen
Founder of TOPIC Embedded Systems

Rieny Rijnen | Founder at TOPIC