Research Intern - Heap Volume Estimation From Mono High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

  Delft
  Full time
  Internship

About this job

We are currently looking for a Research Intern to join the Environment & Sustainability team in Delft to investigate and validate volume estimations using high resolution satellite imagery to start in February 2026.

We welcome interns at every stage of their academic journey! Whether you're a bachelor's student looking to gain hands-on experience, a master's student seeking an internship, or you're ready to dive into your master’s thesis — we’ve got opportunities for you. We are flexible with the duration of the internship as long as it is longer than 3 months. Please specify which is your case on your motivation letter.

Are you ready to make an impact within S[&]T? We’re thrilled to help talented students reach their maximum potential. If you’d like to contribute to a safer life on Earth through your internship, we’ll be happy to guide you along the way during this internship.

Large soil movements in the Netherlands are required to be monitored to ensure that contaminated soil is handled properly and does not negatively affect the environment. S[&]T supports this work by detecting and analyzing changes in monitored sites. Estimation the volume of soil heaps is an important part of this process. The current method of volume estimation relies on static calculations using heap type (cone, plateau, etc) and assumptions on height and angle of the different heap heights which can limit accuracy. A new approach based on Digital Elevation Maps (DEMs) derived from mono high-resolution satellite imagery is being investigated. This method is independent of the heap type and material, relying solely on a single satellite image and the retrieved contours for the heaps. This method needs to be validated and improved before it’s fit for operational use.

As a research intern, your tasks is to understand what performance is desired, and perform this validation to ensure the end-user needs are met. Part of this is also improving the performance and robustness of the DEM creation.


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Job details

Research Intern

Main responsibilities 


  • Reproduce and validate volume estimation methods.
  • Improve performance and robustness of the new volume estimation method.

 


Requirements


You will be the perfect match if you are:

  • Comfortable to work independently and take initiative.
  • Study computer science, remote sensing or a related field.
  • Proficient in Python and eager to expand your technical skills.
  • Have an affection for Earth observation and environmental topics.
  • Curious about the bigger picture, understanding how you work fits into larger projects and goals.
  • Live in the Netherlands.
  • Fluent in English.
  • You will be enrolled in your educational degree for the whole duration of your internship.

If you would like to be our next Research Intern, please upload your CV and a motivation letter.

Please note that if you do not hear back from us within 10 days of your application, you may assume that we have selected another candidate we would like to interview for this position. We do our best to get back to you individually, however, due to a high volume of responses, it can be that we have not been able to reject your application in person.

 

Are you enthusiastic about becoming our new Research Intern?

Apply via our application form, or send your CV and motivational letter directly to recruitment@stcorp.nl.

Apply now

Our story

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At S[&]T we contribute to a safer life on earth by translating space data into valuable and actionable insights. We oversee data from instruments to application, and apply our expertise within our software frameworks, information products and consultancy.

Our society relies on space and scientific instruments for climate change monitoring, navigation, defence and national security, and other crucial services we all use in our daily lives. These instruments produce an enormous quantity of complex data, and our goal is to unlock its value.

We have more than 20 years of experience working on instrument calibration, the creation of data quality monitoring tools, the development of real-time data processing frameworks, and the development of application-specific algorithms. With this, we help organisations, governments and industries to strengthen their information position and thereby improve their decision making. We focus on the following domains: Space & Science, Defence & Security, Environment & Sustainability, and High-Tech Consulting.

Privacy notice

In order to apply for this vacancy you must submit your personal information to S[&]T. We will collect, use, and process your personal information as mentioned in our Privacy Policy. Our policy and processing of your personal information are compliant with the GDPR.


How to apply

Would you like to hear more? Send your CV and motivational letter to recruitment@stcorp.nl or apply directly through our website.

Kindly note that acquisition from third parties (e.g. agencies) based on this vacancy is not welcome.