Student in Line-of-Sight Engineering at Rafael: Guidance Algorithms for Stabilized Electro-Optical Systems in Karmiel

The profession: algorithms and control engineering in Israel

Line-of-sight work is the discipline of keeping a sensor, such as a camera on a gimbal, pointed exactly where it should be while the platform carrying it moves, vibrates and turns. In practice it combines control theory, signal processing, modelling and simulation, usually in Matlab and Simulink, and it sits between the algorithm, electrical and mechanical teams. That is a general description of the field; the listing itself names guidance algorithmics, control integration in the high loops, scanning, mission planning and system modes.

On pay, the listing does not state a salary. For context only, the 2026 software salary tables on Drushim, provided by the staffing firm Jobinfo, list an algorithms developer (research and development) at the graduate level at 20-25 in thousands of NIS, rising to 23-26 at two to three years of experience. The table has no student hourly rates, so treat those figures as the ceiling you grow toward after graduation, not as pay for this student role. Ask about the hourly rate and monthly hours in the first conversation.

Rafael in numbers

History

Rafael traces its roots to 1948, when it began as a research unit of the IDF Science Corps, and it later became an independent state authority before being incorporated as a government-owned company in 2002. Its products include the Iron Dome interception system, David's Sling, the Spike missile family and the Trophy active protection system, and it is developing the Iron Beam laser system, which its CEO has described as becoming operational.

The company is headquartered in Haifa and employs engineers across several sites in northern Israel, including the Karmiel area where this role is based.

In Israel and abroad

Rafael reported that nearly half of its 2025 revenue came from international customers, which means that systems developed by student-level engineers today may be exported tomorrow. Inside Israel the company is one of the largest employers of engineers in the north, and a student position there is a common first step toward a full-time engineering role after graduation.

Stock and revenue

Rafael is wholly government-owned, so it has no traded stock. It does publish annual results. For 2025 it reported record sales of $6.8 billion, net profit of $423 million, new orders of $10.4 billion and an order backlog of $23.3 billion, which the report describes as more than three years of sales. The fourth quarter was its strongest, with sales of $2.2 billion. CEO Yoav Tourgeman said about 2,000 new employees joined during 2025.

The tasks include guidance algorithmics for these systems, from research and development through production, including mission planning, scanning, defining system modes, simulation and analysis.

How the role works

According to the listing, the student joins a group working on the development and supply of stabilized electro-optical systems for varied uses. The work covers guidance algorithmics from research and development through to production, challenges such as mission planning, scanning and defining system modes, integrating control in the high loops, running simulation and analysis, and integrating the algorithms with hardware and software components. The position is part-time, and the listing requires at least a year and a half of studies remaining.

Who it is for

A bachelor's or advanced-degree student in electrical, mechanical, computer or aeronautical engineering, with a strong analytical background and problem-solving ability. Familiarity with Matlab and Simulink is an advantage, not a requirement. The listing is tagged no experience, so a motivated second or third-year student with solid math and control or signals coursework is a realistic candidate. Defense employers in Israel normally run a security clearance process, so expect questions about that during the hiring process.

Status

The listing appeared on Drushim on 27.10.2026 and was active when checked on 28.10.2026. Apply through the listing. Student roles at large defense employers tend to fill quickly, so apply early.

Sources and verification

Role details: the Drushim listing (job 38677505). Company results: Defence Industry Europe, 29.03.2026, reporting Rafael's 2025 results. Salary context: Drushim software salary tables 2026, courtesy of Jobinfo, which are general market figures and not pay for this role. Company history and products: Rafael's public materials and public reporting. The explanation of line-of-sight work is a general description, not text from the listing.