Traineeship: Refactoring and Modernization of Legacy Code

Company Presentation Exail is a leading industrial player in high-tech solutions for the civil and defence sectors. Exail Robotics Belgium develops and produces unmanned surface/underwater vehicles that detect, identify, and destroy sea mines or explosives. Thanks to our innovative “standoff” concept adopted by the Belgian and Dutch navies, we can significantly reduce the risks involved in mine hunting. We also develop our own sonars, which enable to view and detect objects on the waterbed.

Task description During this internship, you will contribute to the modernization of our software by refactoring legacy code, simplifying the architecture, and improving maintainability. You will identify and remove redundant or obsolete libraries, replace outdated dependencies with modern, well-supported alternatives, and clean up existing code to improve readability and long-term maintainability. Throughout the project, you will work closely with experienced software engineers to evaluate technical solutions, implement improvements, and ensure the software continues to perform reliably.

Your responsibilities

• Analyse legacy software components and identify opportunities for modernization.
• Refactor existing code to improve readability, maintainability, and overall code quality.
• Identify and remove redundant, obsolete, or unused libraries and dependencies.
• Replace outdated third-party libraries with modern, actively maintained alternatives.
• Simplify and clean up existing code where appropriate without changing functionality.
• Develop and execute tests to verify the correctness of the refactored software.
• Document architectural decisions and implementation changes.

Required Skills

• Basic knowledge of C/C++ programming and Python
• Basic knowledge of software development and debugging
• Experience with Git or another version control system
• Interest in software optimization and maintainability
• Ability to read and understand technical documentation
• Good command of Dutch or French. Can have a conversation in English. You will work in an international environment

In Practice

• Duration: flexible, minimum 2 months.
• Physical presence on site is required. Mouscron is about a 15-minute drive from Kortrijk. By public transport, our offices are 15 minutes by bike or bus from the train station. Occasionally, we can arrange a visit (and transport) to the Ostend factory where our unmanned vehicles are built.