Forward Deployed System Integration Engineer - L1 (UAV Robotics), Delft

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Details Preferred starting date: ASAP

Weekly availability: full-time (5 days/week, 40% -60% travel in EU)

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 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 to low TRL research with government agencies. Whether through formal R&D programmes or rapid prototyping tracks, we operate at the intersection of innovation and deployment.

Your role As a Forward Deployed System Integration Engineer - L1 (UAV Robotics) you will be at the centre of bringing our autonomy solutions into the real world. You will work hands‑on with drone hardware, integrate onboard systems, and deploy software onto real UAV platforms, from agile FPV drones to large fixed‑wing aircraft.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys making physical systems work, is comfortable following structured procedures, and likes solving practical integration issues using a mix of software and hardware skills. You will be a critical link between our autonomy stack and the aircraft it runs on, ensuring nominal system operability.

This is a junior/entry‑level position with on‑the‑job training and coaching. The L1 level reflects alignment between scope, autonomy, and field responsibility at this stage. It sits within our engineering track (L1, L2, L3, etc.) and provides a clear pathway for progression as you demonstrate impact and ownership in the role. We are looking for strong fundamentals, hands‑on mindset, and learning velocity. Not years of experience.

Your responsibilities will include:

Be a key member of the deployment team responsible for deploying autonomy solutions across diverse UAV platforms.

Travel to partner sites, including international locations, to work on‑site and ensure the solutions function reliably in demanding real‑world conditions.

Work hands‑on with UAV hardware: assembling, wiring, debugging, and preparing platforms for field deployment.

Perform practical system bring‑up and health checks: verify services, interfaces, storage, logging, and behavior across power cycles and reboots.

Set up and validate remote access to deployed systems (SSH access, VPN setup, basic routing/firewall configuration as required).

Install, update, and roll back software releases; track versions and configurations to ensure traceability (Git).

Collect, organize, and deliver debugging artifacts (logs, configs, versions, photos) and write clear issue reports for engineering escalation.

Support test operations by preparing systems pre‑test and assisting during tests with troubleshooting and data capture.

What we expect from you

Comfortable working on Linux‑based systems via command line (SSH, file editing, basic process/service management).

Basic networking knowledge (IP addressing, subnets at a practical level, VPN setup, common connectivity debugging).

Clear written communication for handoffs, issue reports, and checklists.

Ability to follow procedures precisely and work methodically in field environments.

A willingness to pick up and learn new concepts quickly and self‑acquire missing background knowledge.

Adaptability under unforeseen circumstances and ability to think and act under pressure.

A high degree of autonomy, determination and grit in making cool tech work.

Being comfortable with regular travel within the EU region, often over extended duration (up to 3 weeks at a time, followed by 2 weeks or more on‑site).

Full time availability (40 hours).

Bonus:

An obsessive level of passion for drones, like the rest of us here.

Practical experience building and deploying Docker containers.

Valid driver’s license (Category B, suitable for travel abroad).

Experience of Python or C++ development.

Drones pilot license or willingness to acquire one upon joining the team.

While having the perfect background is nice, if you are able to present evidence of outstanding engineering and execution capability we are interested in talking regardless. If you are the right fit, we believe in your ability to pick up the required background knowledge on the fly.

What we offer

Money of course.

25 vacation days per year.

Reimbursed travel expenses and company laptop.

Traveling abroad to work with our partners.

(Really) flexible working hours and option to work from home 2 days per week (when not abroad).

Working in an international, world‑class team of engineers and entrepreneurs solving real‑life problems with amazing technology.

Large freedom in how you work and implement solutions, project ownership is incredibly important to us.

The opportunity to take technical risks, to implement stuff the‘right’ way and to iterate quickly with tight feedback loops. We are innovating, learning is to be expected.

Responsibility over the things you implement, you are the expert on what you build.

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