AI-driven Systems Engineer (all genders)

About Us

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is one of the world's leading organizations for applied research. 75 institutes develop pioneering technologies for our economy and society – more precisely: 32,000 people from technology, science, administration, and IT. You know: Those who come to Fraunhofer want to and can make a difference. For themselves, for us, and for the markets of today and tomorrow.

We are researching what the engineering of the future looks like at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Design Methods IEM in Paderborn – together with strong partners and a lot of passion for technology. Our teams develop solutions that are actually applied: from smart products and networked production systems to digital services and modern software. We think innovation from the first concept to implementation. And that's exactly where you come in.

Your Role

The "Advanced Systems Engineering" department deals with the central question of how complex technical systems can be developed in a data-driven, end-to-end, and efficient manner throughout their entire lifecycle. To achieve this, we combine Systems Engineering, Model-Based Systems Engineering, and modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence into a holistic approach for the engineering of the future. Our focus is on the seamless integration of methods, processes, and IT systems to create consistent, scalable, and future-proof engineering ecosystems.

A particular focus of our work lies in the intelligent support of engineering activities along the entire development process – from product planning and requirements management to system architecture and modeling, integration, validation, and operation. Through the targeted use of modern AI technologies such as Large Language Models, retrieval and agent systems, and semantic knowledge representation, we unlock new potential to make engineering processes more efficient, consistent, and data-driven.

Together with our partners from industry and research, we develop innovative solutions – from methodical conception and prototypical implementations to production-near implementation. Furthermore, we support companies in transforming their engineering processes and promote sustainable competence development through training, workshops, and training formats in the areas of Systems Engineering and AI.

We are looking for personalities who want to bring together engineering and AI, and who not only develop solutions but also penetrate them methodically, communicate them convincingly, and put them into practice.

What You'll Do

• You will develop and evaluate AI-supported methods, prototypes, and demonstrators for Systems Engineering and Model-Based Systems Engineering – for example for Requirements Engineering, consistency and dependency analyses, traceability, or semantic knowledge representation.
• You will actively work in research and industrial projects along the entire development process – from problem structuring and methodical conception to technical implementation and validation.
• You will integrate new AI functions into existing tool landscapes, data flows, and engineering processes and evaluate their added value in the real application context.
• You will work interdisciplinarily with colleagues, industry partners, and public clients, prepare results in an audience-appropriate manner, and present them convincingly.
• You will publish your results in technical papers, participate in workshops, training courses, and acquisition activities, and further develop the field of Advanced Systems Engineering.

What You Bring

• Very good university degree in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a comparable technical degree program
• Initial experience or sound know-how in one or more of the following areas: AI/ML, Generative AI, NLP, RAG or Agent Systems, Software Development, Data Processing, or API-based Tool Integration
• Good knowledge in Systems Engineering / MBSE, Requirements Engineering, System Architecture, or related development approaches
• Very good communication skills in German (min. C1) and English
• The ability to quickly familiarize yourself with new domains, to think through complex issues in a structured manner, and to independently translate them into viable concepts
• Enjoyment in convincingly representing technical content to customers, project partners, and the scientific community

What We Offer

• Look forward to a position where you drive the innovations of tomorrow.
• A strong team culture with flat hierarchies is a matter of course for us. This means: high appreciation and trust, a pleasant and family-friendly working atmosphere, team events, shared lunches, and creative colleagues.
• A modernly equipped work environment with flexible working hours and the possibility of a home office arrangement, taking into account your professional and private challenges.
• Do you use public transport for your commute? Then use our job ticket! You can find other exciting employee benefits on our website.
• We actively support you in balancing work and family life and are proud of the "Family-Friendly Company" award in the Paderborn district.
• We support your career development with targeted career planning, a wide selection of technical and personal further training, and close supervision on the path to your doctorate.
• With the Talenta promotion program, we offer women in research comprehensive opportunities to advance their careers individually and purposefully through appropriate qualification offers.
• You will receive fair pay according to the public sector collective agreement (Bund) as well as a company pension scheme (VBL). We also offer attractive employee discounts (Fraunhofer Corporate Benefits) for a wide selection of attractive brands.

We value and promote the diversity of our employees' skills and therefore welcome all applications – regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, worldview, disability, and sexual orientation and identity. Severely disabled people will be given preferential consideration in the case of equal suitability. Our tasks are diverse and adaptable – for applicants with disabilities, we will find solutions together that optimally promote their abilities.

The weekly working time is 39 hours. The position can also be filled on a part-time basis. Employment, remuneration, and social benefits are based on the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD). In addition, Fraunhofer can grant performance- and success-related variable remuneration components.

With its focus on future-relevant key technologies and the utilization of results in business and industry, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft plays a central role in the innovation process. As a guide and impulse giver for innovative developments and scientific excellence, it contributes to shaping our society and our future.

Ready for change? Then apply now and make a difference! Upon receipt of your online application, you will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt. We will then contact you as soon as possible to let you know the next steps.

Still undecided or have questions?

For technical questions, please contact:

Herr Aschot Hovemann aschot.hovemann@iem.fraunhofer.de +49 5251 5465447

For questions regarding the application process, please contact:

Frau Michelle Ricke-Koch Michelle.ricke-koch@iem.fraunhofer.de +49 5251 5465132

Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Design Methods IEM Reference number: 84516 Application deadline: