Internship- UAV Pilot & Flight Operations

Fiducial

OPENING WE CANNOT PROVIDE VISA SPONSORSHIP DETAILS Preferred starting date: ASAP Weekly availability: full-time (5 days/week) Period: 6 months Location: Aerospace Innovation Hub, Delft, the Netherlands ABOUT THE COMPANY Fiducial is a young but fast-growing deep-tech start-up with big ambitions at the frontier of autonomy, perception, and defence. Our core expertise lies in 3D vision and graphics technologies which we deploy in a dual-use context for inspection and defence. This role will initially focus mainly on the defence context where we are developing software for advanced on-board UAV situational awareness in military applications. Our solutions are aimed to operate with low-cost and widely available sensors and compute. From there, we plan to develop a line-up of interconnected solutions to safeguard European safety. Our team consists of engineers that are passionate about the technology and solutions they develop. The only time most of us are not thinking about the technology is when we are asleep, and sometimes even then. Our team members have a background in different fields such as Aerospace Engineering, Computational Science and Engineering, Robotics, and Computer Graphics. Our office is located in the Aerospace Innovation Hub, a start-up hub located on the TU Delft campus in the faculty of Aerospace Engineering. We work closely with top-tier partners, ranging from government agencies and prime contractors to academic research institutes and other start-ups. Our projects span from large tender orders in collaboration with partners, low TRL research with government agencies, to direct collaboration with military units. Whether through formal R&D programs or rapid prototyping tracks, we operate at the intersection of innovation and deployment. YOUR ROLE You will work in our team of experienced 3D vision engineers, 3D computer graphics engineers, and controls and robotics engineers. You will not just work on some unimportant side project but you might actually build key parts of solutions that will be used by our customers and partners. Activities include: * Contributing to the development and tuning of guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms for autonomous flight, including takeoff, landing, and waypoint following. * Assisting in integrating control and navigation modules with perception and state estimation systems. * Using simulation environments (SITL/HIL) to test and validate flight control behavior before hardware deployment. * Reviewing and interpreting flight logs and telemetry to help assess control performance and identify issues. * Working closely with hardware and flight test teams to configure and calibrate UAV platforms. * Supporting flight test campaigns through setup, monitoring, and post-flight data analysis. * Helping improve internal tools for simulation, control diagnostics, and flight visualization. * Learning from and collaborating with senior engineers to iterate between simulation and real-world testing and continuously improve flight performance. WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU * Foundational understanding of flight dynamics, control theory, and real-time systems. * Hands-on experience (academic, hobby, or project-based) designing control loops for UAVs or similar dynamic systems. * Familiarity with flight control stacks such as PX4, Ardupilot, or other open-source autopilots. * Strong programming skills in C++ or Python. * Awareness of state estimation and filtering concepts (e.g., sensor fusion, complementary filters, or EKF basics). * Comfort working with UAV simulators or an eagerness to learn SITL/HIL testing workflows. * Curiosity and motivation to learn quickly, explore new areas, and seek guidance when needed. * A hands-on attitude, persistence, and enthusiasm for building and improving real flying systems. * Full-time availability (40 hours). WHAT CAN WE OFFER * 1000 euro monthly compensation. * 10 vacation days during internship period. * (Really) flexible working hours and option to work from home 2 days per week. * Have a direct and significant influence on highly innovative products. * The opportunity to iterate quickly with tight feedback loops, close to the product. We are innovating, learning is to be expected. * Responsibility over the things you implement, you are the expert on what you build. THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE * If after reading the above you are convinced you are the right person for the job, send us some information about yourself; this can be a resume, website or other source, as long as we get a clear impression of your background and skills. * We’ll get back to you ASAP. If we feel you could be a fit for the position, we’ll invite you for an informal introduction so we can get to know you, and equally important, you can get to know us. After this, a technical focused interview could follow. * If at this point we feel you are the person we are looking for, we’ll discuss the specifics (starting date and period). * Welcome to the team!

Fiducial

OPENING WE CANNOT PROVIDE VISA SPONSORSHIP DETAILS Preferred starting date: ASAP Weekly availability: full-time (5 days/week) Period: 6 months Location: Aerospace Innovation Hub, Delft, the Netherlands ABOUT THE COMPANY Fiducial is a young but fast-growing deep-tech start-up with big ambitions at the frontier of autonomy, perception, and defence. Our core expertise lies in 3D vision and graphics technologies which we deploy in a dual-use context for inspection and defence. This role will initially focus mainly on the defence context where we are developing software for advanced on-board UAV situational awareness in military applications. Our solutions are aimed to operate with low-cost and widely available sensors and compute. From there, we plan to develop a line-up of interconnected solutions to safeguard European safety. Our team consists of engineers that are passionate about the technology and solutions they develop. The only time most of us are not thinking about the technology is when we are asleep, and sometimes even then. Our team members have a background in different fields such as Aerospace Engineering, Computational Science and Engineering, Robotics, and Computer Graphics. Our office is located in the Aerospace Innovation Hub, a start-up hub located on the TU Delft campus in the faculty of Aerospace Engineering. We work closely with top-tier partners, ranging from government agencies and prime contractors to academic research institutes and other start-ups. Our projects span from large tender orders in collaboration with partners, low TRL research with government agencies, to direct collaboration with military units. Whether through formal R&D programs or rapid prototyping tracks, we operate at the intersection of innovation and deployment. YOUR ROLE You will work in our team of experienced 3D vision engineers, 3D computer graphics engineers, and robotics engineers. You will not just work on some unimportant side project but you might actually build key parts of solutions that will be used by our customers and partners. Activities include: * Working on our in-house SOTA-beating visual odometry engine * Reconstructing 3D flight paths from camera detections * Implementing novel depth estimation methods for navigation WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU * Experience with real-time software development such as game, simulation, robotics or embedded development. * Experience with 3D vision for robotics such as SLAM, VIO, LIO or similar. * Familiarity with basic 3D vision concepts and algorithms such as projective geometry, epipolar geometry, PnP * Experience with 3D reconstruction solutions such as gaussian splatting, COLMAP, or photogrammetry. * Experience with modern C++ General * Full-time availability during the internship period. * A willingness to pick up and learn new concepts quickly and to self-acquire missing background knowledge. * A high degree of autonomy, determination and grit in making cool tech work. WHAT CAN WE OFFER * 1000 euro monthly compensation. * 10 vacation days during internship period. * (Really) flexible working hours and option to work from home 2 days per week. * Have a direct and significant influence on highly innovative products. * The opportunity to iterate quickly with tight feedback loops, close to the product. We are innovating, learning is to be expected. * Responsibility over the things you implement, you are the expert on what you build. THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE * If after reading the above you are convinced you are the right person for the job, send us some information about yourself; this can be a resume, website or other source, as long as we get a clear impression of your background and skills. * We’ll get back to you ASAP. If we feel you could be a fit for the position, we’ll invite you for an informal introduction so we can get to know you, and equally important, you can get to know us. After this, a technical focused interview could follow. * If at this point we feel you are the person we are looking for, we’ll discuss the specifics (starting date and period). * Welcome to the team!

Fiducial

OPENING WE CANNOT PROVIDE VISA SPONSORSHIP DETAILS Preferred starting date: September 2026 Weekly availability: Full-time on-site (5 days/week) Period: Minimum 6 months Location: Delft, the Netherlands ABOUT THE COMPANY Fiducial is a young, fast-growing deep-tech start-up at the frontier of autonomy, perception, and defence. Our core expertise lies in 3D vision and graphics technologies, which we deploy in a dual-use context for inspection and defence. We work closely with top-tier partners ranging from government agencies and prime contractors to research institutes, start-ups, and military units. Our projects span from rapid field‑testing and of drone autonomy to MoD funded research and development programs. The variety of our clients means we operate at the intersection of deep tech and operational field relevance. In this context, it is important to understand how different actors behave in the defence sector, especially in regard to adopting innovative capabilities from non‑legacy actors. To complement our highly technical team, we are looking for an intern who can bring knowledge and experience in defence, technology and/or business to strengthen our existing capabilities. YOUR ROLE You will join our business development team to help turn technical products into clear value propositions, concrete opportunities, and structured sales funnels with customers, end‑users, and funding bodies. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys combining research and writing to create leads, support proposals, and document our commercial activities in a clear and professional way. You will play a key supporting role across the early stages of our sales and partnership pipeline: researching and qualifying prospects, mapping stakeholders, preparing proposal material, meeting customers and partners, and keeping our documentation and databases up to date. Because we are a small and fast‑moving team, you will work across a wide range of activities, from preparing concise briefings and proposal sections to designing one‑pagers and keeping opportunity trackers structured and current. The role suits someone who is analytical and structured, has a knack for storytelling, and a strong interest in the intersection of defence innovation, deep tech, and commercial strategy. You will likely touch multiple domains during your internship, and the exact focus will depend on your strengths and initiative. We value curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to learn quickly. If your background differs but you believe you can contribute to the mission we outline, please tell us how. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES * Lead generation and prospecting Researching and mapping potential clients, partners, and end‑users in defence, border security, and industrial inspection, and compiling prospect lists and profiles for outreach. * Client and stakeholder research Analysing organisations, competitors, and clients, and maintaining structured contact and stakeholder maps. * Competitive and market analysis Researching competitors, alternative solutions, and adjacent technologies; summarising trends, funding initiatives, and capability gaps in concise internal briefs for the team. * Sales and proposal support Supporting proposal writing by drafting capability descriptions, project abstracts, and impact statements; tailoring standard texts to specific clients, calls, or programmes and helping prepare proposal packages and pitch decks. * Documentation and CRM hygiene Helping maintain and improve our opportunity trackers, contact databases, and CRM records; documenting meetings, events, and follow‑ups so that our pipeline and history are easy to understand and act on. * Visual sales materials Creating visual materials such as one‑pagers, infographics, and simple case studies for consortiums, funding calls, and marketing; assisting in maintaining a coherent visual identity and message across all outward‑facing materials. * Client‑facing preparation and follow‑up Preparing talking points, briefing notes, and background dossiers for events and meetings; helping draft follow‑up emails, summarise discussions, and capture new leads and actions from interactions. * Internal reporting and presentations Helping structure internal reports, dashboards, and presentations for the company as well as partners, investors, and agencies, with a focus on clarity, consistency, and reusability. WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU * MSc or final‑year BSc student in Business / Management or similar. Other backgrounds are welcome to apply if they include a justification for their fit. * Excellent written and spoken English. * Comfortable with travelling for work. * A knack for storytelling in a business, sales, or policy context: at events, you will be expected to convey our activities and value propositions attractively and truthfully, sometimes under pressure when speaking to high‑ranking experts. * Strong research skills especially in investigating markets, competitors, and clients thoroughly and precisely without losing track of the bigger picture. * Good command of PowerPoint / Word / Notion, and comfortable using these tools to produce polished proposals, presentations, and documentation. * Ability to summarize technical or strategic content clearly and concisely for commercial and policy audiences. * Genuine curiosity about technology and its effects on markets, especially regarding drones, autonomy, and border security. BONUS * Ability to speak Dutch or Ukrainian. Other language skills can also be a plus. * Any prior exposure to sales, business development, proposal writing, consulting, or account management. * Experience related to geopolitical analysis, especially regarding armed conflicts. WHAT WE CAN OFFER * €750 monthly compensation. * 10 vacation days during the internship period. * Flexible working hours and the option to work from home up to two days per week. * Direct exposure to European defence and innovation ecosystems (DIANA, EDA, ESA NAVISP, etc.). * A chance to work closely with engineers on products that are currently being used in the field and learn how to consistently iterate in response to feedback and field developments. * A chance to take part in a fast‑growing company, seeing it move through funding rounds and grow to meet demand. * Ability to travel to various events throughout Europe and gain insights into the defence industry and strategic priorities for Europe, as well as a chance to interact directly with high‑ranking people such as generals and CEOs of large companies. THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE If this sounds like a fit, send us the following: * Your CV * A personal project or writing sample related to military, dual‑use, or deep tech. Articles in a journal/newspaper, a university essay/project, a personal blog, etc. You may also write something specifically for this application. The idea is to show us your existing interest in the fields, and activities you’ve done in the past to reflect that. * A motivation letter. Show us your knowledge and interest in drone dual‑use technology and how you see yourself contributing to business development and government affairs at Fiducial. We’ll get back to you in July. If we feel you could be a fit, we’ll invite you to a case interview, followed by a final interview with our CEO if you’re successful. If it’s a match, welcome to the team!