Flight Operations Engineer/UAV Pilot - UAV Robotics/Mechatronics

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Details

Preferred starting date: ASAP

Weekly availability: Full-time (5 days/week)

Location: 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. Currently, we are developing software for advanced onboard UAV situational awareness in military applications. Using low-cost and widely available sensors and compute, our solutions are built for scalability. From there, we plan to develop a line-up of interconnected solutions to safeguard European safety.

Our team consists of engineers who 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 come from different backgrounds 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 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 programs or rapid prototyping tracks, we operate at the intersection of innovation and deployment.

Your role

If you are the kind of person who enjoys being on the sticks, knows how to prepare a platform for flight, and also can't resist opening up the autonomy stack to see why it's fighting the flight controller, this role is designed for you.

We are looking for a Flight Operations Engineer/UAV Pilot who is first and foremost excited about piloting and operating UAV platforms, and who also wants to be the bridge between our autonomy software and the hardware it flies on. This role is not limited to FPV systems, although FPV experience is highly valued. You will fly and build across multiple platform types, including multirotors such as the Holybro X650 and fixed-wing aircraft.

Being able to fly is a requirement, not a nice-to-have. Your main responsibility is to make sure our UAV platforms are flight-ready at all times, and to be the person who takes them up. That means flying, checking, maintaining, preparing, troubleshooting, and improving the systems before, during, and after flight operations, while also working deep in the embedded software and hardware layers that make autonomous flight possible.

This is not a desk-only role. You will spend time around real aircraft, in the workshop, in the field, and in the terminal. You will pilot, build, debug, integrate, and help ensure our drone platforms can be deployed reliably and safely, often under pressure during field testing.

We're open to candidates at all levels of experience, from students and early-career engineers to seasoned professionals. What matters most is that you can fly, you're hands-on, and you're hungry to grow into the rest. Seniority will shape scope and responsibility, not whether you belong here.

What you'll do

Flight operations

• Pilot and operate UAV platforms in test, R&D, and field environments, across FPV, multirotor (including the Holybro X650), and fixed-wing systems.

• Ensure platforms are flight-ready at all times through structured pre-flight, post-flight, and maintenance routines.

• Perform system checks on airframes, propulsion systems, power systems, RC links, telemetry, payloads, and onboard compute.

• Prepare platforms for test days by charging batteries, checking logs, verifying configurations, updating firmware, and confirming component health.

• Plan and execute flight test campaigns, safely validating new autonomy capabilities, tuning flight controller parameters, and collecting flight data.

• Troubleshoot flight readiness issues quickly and methodically, in the field where debugging resources are limited and stakes are high.

Engineering & integration

• Develop, maintain, and debug the interface layer between flight controllers (ArduPilot / Betaflight / PX4) and our autonomy stack, troubleshooting communication protocols and ensuring reliable real-time performance.

• Work extensively with embedded Linux systems (Jetson, Orange Pi, Raspberry Pi), debugging system-level issues, optimizing boot configurations, and ensuring robust operation in field conditions.

• Lead hardware integration: design mounting solutions, route wiring harnesses, integrate sensors and compute platforms, and validate mechanical and electrical interfaces.

• Solder, assemble, repair, and prototype wiring, adapters, mounts, and housings when needed.

• 3D-print parts and contribute to practical workshop solutions that improve reliability and ease of deployment.

• Support deployment and field testing of embedded perception and autonomy software.

• Provide in-depth technical feedback to the engineering team based on field observations, identifying failure modes and proposing improvements.

• Help maintain and improve standard operating procedures for flight preparation, field deployment, and recovery.

• Travel to test sites or partner sites, including internationally, to deploy solutions and conduct field tests.

• Keep our platforms organized, maintained, documented, and ready for rapid iteration.

Who you are

• You can fly — you have real experience flying UAVs, RC aircraft, or FPV systems, and you're genuinely excited about piloting and flight operations, not just the engineering behind it.

• You care about making systems reliable, safe, and ready to fly, and you're comfortable taking responsibility for the condition of physical platforms.

• You're comfortable with, or eager to learn, debugging embedded Linux systems, troubleshooting flight controller communications, and assembling drone hardware in the field, whatever your current level, you want to get your hands dirty across all of it.

• You enjoy practical technical work and solving real hardware problems as much as you enjoy chasing down a bug in code.

• You like working in the field as much as in the workshop, and in the workshop as much as in the terminal.

• Linux does not scare you.

• You are independent, curious, organized, resourceful, and ambitious, you take ownership of problems and see them through to resolution.

• You are able to work carefully and consistently, especially when preparing systems for flight.

• You have strong communication skills and can translate field observations into actionable technical recommendations.

• You have a driver's license.

• You hold a drone pilot license or similar flight certification (or are ready to acquire one immediately).

• We care much more about what you have built, flown, maintained, or fixed than about grades.

Nice to have

These are strong pluses, but not strict requirements, junior candidates can grow into these, and senior candidates likely bring several already:

• Deep hands-on experience with ArduPilot & Betaflight, including parameter tuning, MAVLink protocol, and debugging controller-level issues.

• Experience with Holybro, Pixhawk-based systems, ESCs, power distribution, telemetry radios, or RC links.

• Ability to compile, cross-compile, and debug C++ applications for ARM64 embedded platforms.

• Understanding of robotics fundamentals: kinematics, control theory, sensor fusion (SLAM, visual odometry).

• Strong electronics skills: reading schematics, soldering, using multimeters and oscilloscopes.

• Experience building UAV platforms from scratch, airframe assembly, component selection, system bring-up.

• Experience with CAD tools (Fusion 360, SolidWorks) for mounts, enclosures, or custom mechanical parts.

• Familiarity with Docker for edge deployment and containerized robotics applications.

• Proficiency in Python or C++.

• Familiarity with Git and CI pipelines for embedded systems.

• Understanding of wireless communication protocols used in UAVs (Wi-Fi, LTE, radio telemetry).

• Prior experience in a fast-paced startup or research environment where you shipped real robotics systems.

• Willingness to travel regularly, including internationally, for extended periods.

While having the perfect background is valuable, we prioritize demonstrated flying ability, curiosity, and execution capability over years on paper. If you have a track record of flying, building, or fixing real robotic systems, whether that's from a hobby workshop, a university team, or a decade in the industry, we want to talk, even if your background doesn't match every requirement.

Please include

When applying, please include photos, videos, or links to things that show us you actually build, fly, or maintain systems. For example:

• drone builds

• FPV rigs

• multirotor or fixed-wing platforms

• workshop or field setup

• electronics projects

• CAD or 3D-printed parts

• GitHub repositories

• flight videos

• repair or maintenance work

• anything that demonstrates hands-on flying or technical ownership

If you’ve ever crashed something, fixed it, and flown it again, you’ll probably fit right in.

Requirements

• Education in a relevant study (Aerospace, Robotics, Electrical, Mechatronics, Engineering etc.).

• Linux basics.

• Interest in UAVs, robotics, embedded systems, or autonomy.

• English proficiency.

• Organized and proactive.

Bonus:

• Driver’s license, drone pilot license, CAD, 3D printing, soldering, or flight experience.

• Basic Linux skills

• Strong interest in UAVs, flight operations, robotics, embedded systems, or autonomy

• English proficiency

• Organized and proactive working style

What we offer

• Money of course

• 25 paid holidays per year

• Flexible working hours

• A direct and significant influence on highly innovative products

• The opportunity to work close to the hardware and the product, with fast iteration and tight feedback loops

• Responsibility over the systems and improvements you contribute to

• A team environment where practical experimentation, learning, and ownership are expected

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, portfolio, or any other source that gives us a clear impression of your background, technical skills, and hands-on experience. We will get back to you ASAP.

• We’ll get back to you ASAP. If we feel you could be a fit for the position, we will share more information and request you to complete a questionnaire. After this, interviews will follow.

• If at that point we believe you are the person we are looking for, we will discuss the specifics such as starting date

Welcome to the team!