Assistant Professor in Advanced Autonomous Flight Control

At TU Delft, you will develop the autonomous control methods that will shape the next generation of uncrewed aerial vehicles. By advancing agile, robust and cooperative flight control for drones and larger aircraft, you will help enable safe autonomous operations in challenging environments while building internationally recognised research and educating the engineers who will transform the future of aviation.

Job description

Autonomous aerial systems are rapidly transforming sectors such as infrastructure inspection, offshore operations, logistics and construction. While today's drones often rely on human operators or waypoint-based navigation, tomorrow's aircraft will increasingly perform complex missions independently, collaborate with other vehicles and safely operate in dynamic, uncertain environments. At the same time, drones provide an ideal platform for rapidly developing and validating advanced flight control concepts that can ultimately be transferred to larger uncrewed and crewed aircraft.

You will join the Control and Operations department within the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology. You will establish a distinctive research programme focused on the transition from direct human or waypoint-based drone control towards smooth, continuous and autonomous aircraft operations in challenging single- and multi-drone scenarios.

Your research will address the development of advanced control methods for agile, robust and resilient flight, enabling both individual and cooperative aerial systems to operate safely and efficiently. Possible research directions include advanced flight control, model predictive control, nonlinear control, fault-tolerant control, cooperative control and aerial manipulation.

You will combine theoretical developments with experimental validation using TU Delft's outstanding research infrastructure, including advanced drone facilities and unique crewed flying laboratories such as the Cessna Citation and Piper Skymaster.

You will build and lead your own research line by supervising MSc, PhD and postdoctoral researchers, attracting competitive research funding and developing collaborations with leading academic, industrial and governmental partners. Through your work, you will strengthen the faculty's internationally recognised position in autonomous aerial systems while contributing to safer, more efficient and more capable autonomous aircraft.

Education is an integral part of this position. You will teach and further develop BSc and MSc courses in Aerospace Engineering, particularly in flight dynamics and flight control. You will supervise student projects and theses and inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers to develop the autonomous aircraft technologies of the future.

You will become part of the internationally diverse and collaborative Control and Operations department, where you will work closely with experts in flight dynamics, guidance, navigation and control, robotics, artificial intelligence, sensing and experimental aerospace systems. This multidisciplinary environment offers excellent opportunities to build impactful collaborations, establish an internationally recognised research programme and contribute to world-class education and research.

Job requirements

• You hold a PhD in aerospace control, control engineering or a closely related field.
• You have demonstrated expertise in developing advanced flight control methods and validating them experimentally using drone platforms.
• You have experience with both low-level flight control and multi-robot or cooperative control systems.
• You enjoy combining theoretical research with hands-on experimentation using state-of-the-art research facilities, such as drone flight arenas, wind tunnels or crewed flying laboratories.
• You have an emerging or established research profile, demonstrated through high-quality scientific publications and strong research potential.
• You have the ambition and ability to attract competitive research funding and develop national and international collaborations.
• You are passionate about teaching and mentoring students and enjoy supervising MSc, PhD and postdoctoral researchers.
• You have excellent communication skills, thrive in collaborative environments, possess an excellent command of English and are willing to learn Dutch within a reasonable timeframe.

TU Delft

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means joining an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations and solutions that help move the world forward.

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs and students, work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security.

When you join, you become part of a collaborative and forward-thinking environment where ideas and perspectives are valued. The work extends beyond the lab into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments and industry, both locally and globally.

You join a community where you can thrive, grow and help shape the future of aerospace.

Conditions of employment

This position is offered as an Academic Career Track position. During the Academic Career Track, you will be expected to grow towards an Associate Professor position within a maximum of eight years, for which a position will be available. You will participate in the Academic Career Track Development programme, with opportunities to develop in the areas of Education, Research, Societal Impact and Innovation, and Leadership and Organisation. You will regularly discuss your development and results with senior staff based on a personalized development plan and performance criteria agreed upon at the start of your Academic Career Track.

Inspiring, excellent education is a central aim. You will be expected to obtain a University Teaching Qualification within three years if you have less than five years of teaching experience. This is provided by the TU Delft UTQ programme as part of the Academic Career Track Development programme.

TU Delft sets high standards for the English competency of teaching staff and offers training to improve English competency. If you do not speak Dutch, courses are offered to learn the Dutch language within three years.