Internship | Real-time execution of containerized applications on Kubernetes

About this position Cloud platforms are good at scale and flexibility, but not at being on time. Kubernetes, the technology behind most cloud-native systems, has no built-in way to guarantee that a task finishes before its deadline. For the high-tech systems TNO ESI works on with its industrial partners that is a real problem, because late is the same as wrong.

This internship is about making a standard cloud platform time-predictable. You work in a research group that sits between university and industry, so your results are tested against real engineering problems rather than staying on paper. You will be part of an environment where curiosity is encouraged, ideas are welcome, and you have the space to develop your expertise.

What will be your role? During this internship you extend Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) with support for real-time scheduling. You start from KubeDeadline, an existing deadline-aware scheduling framework built on the Linux SCHED_DEADLINE policy, and adapt it to work inside a managed cloud environment.

Concretely, you will:

• Get KubeDeadline running on AKS and establish a baseline of its timing behaviour.
• Develop scheduling and resource-management policies, including a method for choosing KubeDeadline parameters (budget, deadline, period) so that deployed applications meet their timing requirements.
• Investigate which AKS infrastructure features can be used and tuned to support predictable execution.
• Validate the result on a representative latency-critical workload.

You translate your findings into a working prototype and a thesis, and you present your results to colleagues and industrial partners. Along the way you deepen your knowledge of operating system scheduling, container orchestration and performance measurement, and you have room to bring in your own ideas.

What we expect from you We are looking for a Master student in Embedded Systems, Computer Science or a comparable programme, for a graduation internship of six to nine months. You have an affinity with orchestration technology such as Kubernetes and with operating system scheduling, in particular Linux scheduling.

Experience with Go, C or Python and with cloud platforms is useful but not required. We are happy to support you in the areas you want to learn more about.

What matters most is that you are curious, work in a structured way and enjoy digging into a system until you understand why it behaves the way it does. Duration and exact scope are agreed with you at the start, and the assignment is shaped further together during the internship.

What you'll get in return An internship at TNO means working in an environment where substance and impact are central. You will become part of a knowledge organisation where research and practice come together, and where experts collaborate on solutions to current societal and technological challenges.

Your internship is a period in which you can discover what suits you, where your strengths lie and what you would like to learn next. You are part of a professional working environment, gain insight into how things work in practice, and have the opportunity to build experience that goes beyond this internship alone. For many students, an internship is therefore also a first step in discovering whether TNO could be a potential next step after graduation.

In addition, we offer you:

• A professional and innovative internship environment in which you actively contribute to societal and technological challenges, working alongside leading experts in your field.
• Personal and dedicated supervision, with focus on your learning objectives, development and study assignment.
• Room to develop: you gain relevant work experience, develop both your subject‑specific and professional skills, and build a valuable network.
• Use of a laptop and the facilities you need to perform your work effectively.
• A monthly internship allowance of € 615 for a full-time internship, for MSc, BSc and vocational education (MBO) students.
• Up to eight hours of leave per internship month for a full-time internship, allowing you to balance your internship with your studies and personal life.
• A contribution towards travel expenses if you are not entitled to a student travel card.
• A free membership to Jong TNO: the network for young colleagues, where you can meet other TNO colleagues and participate in sports activities, professional and personal development activities, and social events such as the annual ski trip. TNO as an employer Our people are at the heart of TNO. Their curiosity, expertise and entrepreneurial mindset make it possible to deliver high-impact research and innovations that contribute to society’s sustainable wellbeing and prosperity. That is why we invest in an inspiring and inclusive working environment where colleagues can excel, have autonomy and continue to grow.

Your talent and ambition have every opportunity to flourish at TNO. You work with experts (both within and beyond TNO), have access to advanced technology and the freedom to explore, experiment and innovate. Our strength lies in independence, reliability and collaboration. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. By working with businesses and government, and by connecting different perspectives, we strengthen our innovative capability and create responsible, meaningful results.

At TNO, we believe this is our time to help society, government and business move forward faster. Together with driven colleagues, you turn knowledge into concrete innovations or ventures that truly make a difference by combining the power of science and entrepreneurship. And in doing so, you make your mark on our time.

The selection process You can apply for this internship position until the 8th of September, 2026. Interviews will be held in September. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation by email.

TNO will arrange an appropriate internship agreement. If you have any questions about the content of the internship or the application procedure, you can contact the person listed below.

If you start an internship with us, we will also ask you to provide a Certificate of Conduct (VOG).

Important to know before applying:

• Before the start of the internship, an internship agreement must be signed. For students enrolled at a Dutch university or university of applied sciences, TNO uses the UNL-template (opens in a new window or tab) (refers to a different website) , supplemented with several TNO‑specific agreements. For students from foreign educational institutions and MBO (secondary vocational education) programmes, the TNO internship agreement applies. TNO does not sign any other internship agreements.

• Before the start of the internship, the educational institution will need to confirm in writing that:

  • you are enrolled at the educational institution for the duration of the internship, and;
  • the internship forms part of your study programme.

The confirmation of educational institution takes place by signing the UNL template or forms prepared by TNO.

• Interns at TNO must have a registered residential address in the Netherlands at the start of the internship. Carrying out internship activities from abroad is not possible.
• Are you an international student? Please note that you must have a BSN (Dutch citizen service number) before the start of your internship. Applying for a BSN can take several weeks, so make sure to start this process well in advance. Has this job opening sparked your interest?

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Then we’d like to hear from you! Please contact us for more information about the job or the selection process. To apply, please upload your CV and covering letter using the ‘