From Junior to Expert: How Senior AI Software Engineer Marnix is building AI solutions at Cadmatic
What do software developers want from their careers? Meaningful work, growth opportunities, smart teammates, and work-life balance often top the list. Meet Marnix Jansma, a Senior AI Software Engineer in our Netherlands office, who has found all that during his five years at Cadmatic. Starting as a Junior Software Developer in 2020, he now works on AI solutions across Cadmatic’s global product portfolio. What’s kept Marnix here for half a decade? Let’s find out.
From Junior Engineer to AI Expert
When Marnix graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Groningen in 2020, he was ready to roll up his sleeves and start working.
“I didn’t want to go straight into a master’s program. I was ready to work. I was looking for a programming-focused role and found Cadmatic through a job search site. Honestly, I didn’t know anything about the company at the time but the job seemed interesting and I decided to apply”, he says.
He joined as a Junior Software Developer, initially focusing on a specific export module within CADMATIC Hull – a powerful CAD/CAM solution for all stages of hull desing. The software supports everything from initial design and structural modeling to shell plate development, nesting, and production drawings, making it a critical tool in the engineering workflows of global shipyards.
“I worked on one well-defined module at first, but as I became more confident, my responsibilities grew”, he explains.
Over time, Marnix deepened his technical acumen, broadened the scope of his contributions, and transitioned out of the junior role. “I got new responsibilities as my skills grew and got more experience. The junior title dropped after a while, and I kept growing.”
That growth didn’t stop there. In 2022, Marnix started his master’s degree in AI, balancing part-time study with his Cadmatic work. Most recently in 2025, he fully transitioned into the company’s new AI development team, where he now works as a Senior Software Engineer, AI, applying AI techniques to complex problems across Cadmatic’s product portfolio.
What does he actually do in the AI development team?
Today, Marnix is helping shape the future of AI at Cadmatic – building solutions that cut across multiple product lines and technical domains.
“In this role, I get an opportunity to look across the whole Cadmatic portfolio. We’re building tailored solutions to solve problems that aren’t easy to tackle in traditional ways”, he explains.
The challenges he works on are deeply technical and rooted in real engineering: 3D modeling, geometrical computation, legacy data models, and products with decades of domain-specific logic.
“Cadmatic has been around for a long time. At first, I was surprised by the legacy codebase, but over time, I came to appreciate the depth and domain knowledge built into these tools. You really learn how things work in industries like shipbuilding and industrial design”, he says.
His foundation in the Hull Application gave him an appreciation for the specificity and complexity of the marine design domain, from curved hull surfaces to structural detailing.
Now, in the AI team, that understanding is crucial as he builds next-gen features and solutions to support evolving customer needs.
Building the AI Practice at Cadmatic
While the AI team at Cadmatic is still small, just five members, it’s also highly international and experimental by nature. Marnix works daily with colleagues from around Europe, all distributed across different locations.
“We’re in constant contact. We have regular team meetings twice a week, but depending on what we’re working on, we sync on the fly. And once you’ve met in person, as we did during our team meeting in Finland in the beginning of 2025, it gets much easier to collaborate remotely”, Marnix says.
The AI function is still new to Cadmatic, and Marnix plays a key role in establishing its engineering practices. His current focus is on structuring how AI gets built, tested, and scaled within a traditional CAD software context.
“We’re figuring out how to combine professional software engineering with the fast-moving nature of AI. DevOps is important, but in AI, MLOps and evaluation methods are everything. You need to be able to test and learn fast”, Marnix explains.
He emphasizes the importance of defining repeatable, reliable ways to evaluate models and ensure they solve the right problems in production.
“You need to know what ‘good’ looks like. That’s the biggest challenge right now. Setting up clear evaluation workflows so we can learn fast and build confidently”, he says.
Marnix describes the team’s approach as a balance of experimentation and standardization, echoing what he hears from peers in other companies: everyone’s still figuring this out.
“Even the big players are trying things out as they go. It’s exciting to be part of that journey here”, he points out.
What keeps Marnix with us after 5 years?
In a time where changing jobs is common, Marnix’s five-year tenure speaks volumes about the culture and values we have. What’s so special about it?
“This is a relaxed and friendly place to be. People are patient with each other and willing to share their knowledge, help each other out. That really matters when you’re learning and growing”, Marnix says.
One key thing that Marnix mentioned and appreciates is the respect for personal time.
“I really appreciate how seriously Cadmatic takes my free time. I’ve always felt trusted to manage my work. That’s what allowed me to pursue a master’s degree while working”, he says.
So, if you’re a developer with an interest in real-world tech challenges, practical AI, and long-term career development, Marnix says Cadmatic might be a match – but it depends on what you value.
“If you enjoy solving deep technical problems and can appreciate the legacy that comes with mature products, you’ll find this job very rewarding”, he says and adds: “The fact that I’ve grown my career, studied AI, worked with international teams, and had real impact on core products – that’s what makes me happy here.”
