Training Solutions Drone Intern

## Position Overview Cole Engineering Services (CESI) is seeking a motivated and talented intern to support the development of military training solutions within our live training vertical, with a primary focus on drone force-on-force and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (cUAS) capabilities. This position provides hands-on exposure to embedded single-board computer development and computer vision model training while contributing directly to devices used by Soldiers in live training. The intern will support build-up, instrumentation, and test of drone and cUAS training systems. This is an onsite position and may require some travel. ## Responsibilities - Embedded Systems and Single-Board Computer Support (Primary Duty) - Flash, configure, and bench-test single-board computers (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, Raspberry Pi class) used in drone force-on-force and counter-UAS (cUAS) training devices - Write and maintain software for device provisioning, sensor initialization, data logging, and automated bench checks - Integrate and verify RGB and thermal camera modules, orientation/IMU sensors, and radio links against documented interface requirements - Capture power draw, thermal, and runtime measurements supporting endurance and duty-cycle analysis for field training events - Maintain configuration baselines and version control so device images and builds are reproducible - Computer Vision Model Training Support - Organize, version, and stage RGB and thermal imagery datasets of small UAS and FPV targets for training, validation, and regression testing - Execute supervised training and evaluation runs under engineering direction, logging hyperparameters, run configurations, and results - Score model performance against held-out data (precision/recall, detection range, false alarm rate) and summarize findings for the project lead - Convert and optimize trained models for edge deployment (e.g., ONNX, TensorRT) and measure on-device inference latency - Support re-baselining of detection models when airframes, backgrounds, or sensor configurations change - Drone Force-on-Force and cUAS Test Support - Set up, instrument, and tear down controlled lanes for drone force-on-force and cUAS training events - Perform ground support tasks including battery management, airframe inventory and pre-flight checks, and ground control station setup under the supervision of the designated remote pilot - Verify time synchronization, telemetry capture, and engagement/adjudication data across networked devices before each run - Perform first-level data reduction after test events and flag anomalies for engineering review - Follow all range, airspace, lithium battery handling, and standard operating procedures during test and flight events - Program and Professional Development - Shadow engineering, program management, and subject matter experts to build context on live training requirements and the Soldier end user - Attend team meetings, design reviews, and capability demonstrations (non-operational, non-ME tasked) - Document work in engineering notes and issue trackers, and brief status and results to the project lead ## Required Experience/Qualifications - Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate program (any relevant field) - Strong attention to detail and ability to follow written technical procedures precisely - Comfortable working in a structured, team-oriented professional environment ## Preferred Experience/Qualifications - Hands-on experience with single-board computers (NVIDIA Jetson, Raspberry Pi, or similar), Linux, and Python - Background in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, or data science - Familiarity with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) or computer vision libraries and detection models (OpenCV, YOLO class)