Autonomy Engineer Intern, Reinforcement Learning, 2027 (Zurich)

pSkydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders , soldiers in battlefield scenarios , and beyond . /p pbAbout the role: /b /p pSkydio builds the world’s most advanced autonomous drones used across inspection, public safety, defense, cinematography, and more. Your research won’t languish in a paper: it will bfly /b, shaping how pilots and operators complete real missions in complex environments. Develop and deploy breinforcement learning /b (and adjacent policy-learning methods) that make Skydio aircraft bplan, navigate, and control /b themselves more intelligently, safely, reliably, and efficiently across our ecosystem: handheld apps, ground control, cloud autonomy services, and fleet workflows. /p pbHow you'll make an impact: /b /p pbNavigation avoidance in the wild: /b Train policies that adapt online to cluttered 3D scenes (forests, bridges, urban canyons), complementing our stack for robust obstacle avoidance and dynamic goal-seeking. /p pbRL-augmented planning: /b Fuse learned cost shaping / value functions with trajectory optimization for smooth, agile flight with tight safety envelopes and mission constraints. /p pbSim to Real at scale: /b Build scalable datasets and training loops with Isaac Lab, domain randomization, residual learning, and safety filters; validate on real drones weekly. /p pbHuman-in-the-loop shared control: /b Learn assistive policies that blend pilot intent, autonomy priors, and uncertainty-aware behaviors for intuitive control handoffs. /p pbFleet multi-agent: /b Explore decentralized coordination for coverage, pursuit, and collaborative mapping with minimal comms. /p pbWhat makes this internship different: /b /p pbReal hardware cadence: /b Prototype in sim, then flight test on production-ready aircraft and edge compute. Your work is meant to make a difference in the real world, not just in simulation. /p pbSafety-first learning: /b We pair RL with formal constraints, estimation of uncertainty, and conservative action filters for dependable deployment in human environments. /p pbCross-disciplinary mentorship: /b Collaborate with perception, mapping, controls, and product teams to close the loop from research to field ops. /p pbWhat makes you a strong fit: /b /p pPhD student in Robotics, Machine Learning, Controls, or related field. /p pStrong fundamentals in bRL /b, control theory, and motion planning; comfort with safety/robustness concepts. /p pProficient in bPython /b (PyTorch/JAX/Ray RLlib) and at least one of bC++ /b or CUDA. /p pHands-on experience with brobotics simulation /b (Isaac Lab/MuJoCo/PyBullet) and sim2real techniques. /p pExperience training/deploying policies for navigation, manipulation, or locomotion on real robots or autonomous vehicles. /p pbNice-to-Haves: /b /p pExperience with onboard inference optimization (TensorRT, quantization, sparsity). /p pFamiliarity with modern bpolicy learning /b beyond vanilla RL: diffusion policies, IL/BC, offline RL, model-based RL. /p pExperience with multi-agent RL or distributed training. /p pbCompensation: /b The hourly rate for this position is $47/hr for Undergrad, $53/hr for Masters, and $70/hr for PhD students*. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. In addition to base salary, Skydio full-time employees are eligible to enroll in our benefit plans and take advantage of a variety of incentives and stipends. /p p*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position's location. /p p#LI-DK1 /p pAt Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture. /p pQualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws. /p pFor positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit /p pbU.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION /b (Completion is voluntary and will not subject you to adverse treatment) /p pSkydio provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by applicable law. /p pSkydio is a federal contractor or subcontractor subject to certain governmental recordkeeping and reporting requirements for the administration of civil rights laws and regulations. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job-related criteria without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, genetic information, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law. /p pWe invite all applicants to voluntarily self-identify their race, ethnicity, and gender. Submission of the information on this form is strictly voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. Information obtained will be retained in a confidential file and separate from personnel records. This information may only be used in accordance with the provision of applicable federal laws, executive orders, and regulations. If you want more information about any of the sections, please check with a company representative. /p pMale /p pFemale /p pDecline to self-identify /p pRace /pullipbHispanic or Latino /b - A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. /p /li /ul ullipbWhite /b (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. /p /li lipbBlack or African American /b (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. /p /li lipbNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander /b (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. /p /li lipbAsian /b (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. /p /li lipbAmerican Indian or Alaska Native /b (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. /p /li lipbTwo or More Races /b (Not Hispanic or Latino) - All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races. /p /li /ul pbSELF-IDENTIFICATION OF VETERAN STATUS /b (Completion is voluntary and will not subject you to adverse treatment) /p pSkydio is a Government contractor subject to Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, which requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans. If you believe that you belong to any of the following categories of protected veterans, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. /p pbDisabled veteran /b – A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military and is entitled to disability compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to disability compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability /p pbRecently separated veteran /b – A veteran separated during the three-year period beginning on the date of the veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S military, ground, naval, or air service /p pbActive duty wartime or campaign badge veteran /b – A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge was authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense /p pbArmed forces service medal veteran /b – A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985 (61 Fed. Reg. 1209). /p pI identify as one or more of the classifications of protected veteran listed above /p pI am not a protected veteran /p pI decline to self-identify for protected veteran status /p