Lead ML Engineer (m/f/x)

Cofinity-X; Köln; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Annual training budget 1,500 EUR

Deutschland Ticket

Job Bike

Pensions scheme with company sponsor

Regular team events

Modern office with Cologne Cathedral视

Free hardware choice

Lunch subsidy up to 115 EUR

Job summary

Cofinity-X in Köln seeks a seasoned ML leader to guide our Machine Learning team, shaping the roadmap and advancing sovereign AI initiatives for Europe.

You will mentor engineers, collaborate with product managers, and partner with dataspace experts to integrate cutting-edge AI into our products while contributing to open-source projects. A hybrid work model and international collaboration across the EU are offered.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in ML/CS; PhD is a plus.
• 7+ years in ML, with federated learning experience.
• 3+ years leading technical projects and people.
• Experience partnering with product teams to bring ML products to market.
• Deep knowledge of modern ML infra, LLMs, and AI tooling.
• Strong stakeholder management and senior leadership collaboration.
• Interest in sovereign AI and dataspace tech (Catena-X, Gaia-X, IDSA).
• Proven open-source contributions and OSS workflow familiarity.

Responsibilities

• Lead our ML team and drive sovereign AI initiatives.
• Architect training and fine-tuning of ML models with dataspace tech.
• Set technical direction for ML roadmap across products.
• Collaborate with product teams to align requirements and constraints.
• Mentor engineers, recruit, and scale the team with HR.
• Contribute to open-source projects and external collaborations.

Skills

Machine Learning

Federated learning

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

Open-source contributions

German & English communication

Education

Master's degree in ML/CS

PhD is a plus

Job description

Our vision - your future

Cofinity-X is a joint venture founded in 2023 by BASF, BMW Group, Henkel, Mercedes-Benz, SAP, Schaeffler, Siemens, T-Systems, Volkswagen, and ZF. Established by industry experts, our company is primed for growth and is intended to be further led by professionals like yourself.

Our vision - your future

Cofinity-X is a joint venture founded in 2023 by BASF, BMW Group, Henkel, Mercedes-Benz, SAP, Schaeffler, Siemens, T-Systems, Volkswagen, and ZF. Established by industry experts, our company is primed for growth and is intended to be further led by professionals like yourself.

Your mission

• Lead our Machine Learning team and contribute to the development of sovereign AI in Europe
• Architect the training and fine-tuning of AI models using sovereign dataspace technology
• Set the technical direction for our ML roadmap, integrating cutting-edge AI innovation into our sovereign dataspace technology
• Support Product Management in evaluating and defining AI/ML architectures for target products and solutions, balancing customer requirements and technical constraints
• Recruit, lead, mentor, and inspire your own team of highly skilled ML engineers
• Partner with our HR team to scale the team through active sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding
• Coach and develop team members while fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and intellectually rigorous culture
• Work together with dataspace technology experts and product teams
• Contribute heavily to open-source projects

Your profile

• Master’s degree in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related discipline (PhD is a plus)
• 7+ years of experience in Machine Learning, ideally with experience in federated learning
• 3+ years of experience leading technical projects and people
• Proven experience working with product teams to bring ML products to market
• Deep understanding of modern ML infrastructure, LLMs, and AI tooling
• Outstanding stakeholder management skills and comfort working with senior leader
• Strong interest in sovereign AI and dataspace technology (Catena-X, Gaia-X, IDSA)
• Track record of open-source contributions and a strong understanding of how open-source projects work
• Good German and English language skills, both written and spoken

Why us?

• Hybrid working model
• Balanced work-life balance with flexible working hours
• Annual training budget for continuous professional and personal development (1.500 EUR)
• Free choice of hardware
• Monthly lunchsubsidy(upto 115EUR)
• Deutschland Ticket and Job Bike for environmentally friendly mobility options
• Workation to work remotely fromdifferent locationswithin the EU
• We offer every employee a pensions scheme (bAV) with company sponsorship
• Regular team events to strengthen cohesion and foster a positive working atmosphere
• A modern office with an impressive view of the Cologne Cathedral

About Us

Cofinity-X GmbH is based in Cologne and was founded in 2023. It is a joint venture of BASF, BMW Group, Henkel, Mercedes-Benz, SAP, Schaeffler, Siemens, T-Systems, Volkswagen and ZF. The vision of Cofinity-X is to run an open marketplace for the provision of own and third-party business applications and further services that enable secured and standardized data transfer along the automotive value chain in accordance with the Gaia-X and Catena-X principles with initial focus on the European market.