Count on us to make it count.
December 1st, 2025
The Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) is a non-university research institute under public law of the state of Berlin, dedicated to interdisciplinary research in applied mathematics and data-driven science. Within the research group Interactive Optimization and Learning (IOL), we are offering four positions to be filled at March 1st, 2026, for
Researchers (f/m/d)
on a full-time basis (39,4 hours per week), limited until August 31st, 2028. If the applicants meet the relevant wage requirements and personal qualifications, the salary will be based on remuneration group 13 TV-L of the pay scale for the German public sector.
Your tasks
We are seeking a dedicated researcher to join our team and focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.
In detail, you will work with an organization at the forefront of autonomous driving in the US. They have gathered vast amounts of valuable sensor data that will provide a deep insight into various driving environments and scenarios. Within this collaboration, our strategic response is to integrate foundational computer vision techniques to harness its full potential and drive its capabilities further ahead to adhere to future needs.
Therefore, we are actively searching for five PhD candidates with a passion for generative neural networks, simulation and training large foundational models. This role will be pivotal in refining and enhancing our data assets to extract maximum value. With a wealth of sensor data at hand, the application of generative neural networks stands as a promising avenue. These networks will allow for techniques such as self-supervised learning and can identify intricate patterns and nuances, while relaying less on labeled datasets laying the groundwork for more intelligent, data-driven decision-making. In that respect you will will collaborate with many internationally renowned research organizations in the United States and Germany, pushing the state-of-the-art, take part in international conferences and publish your work accordingly.
Your profile
Our ideal candidates have successfully completed a Master’s degree with top honors in a highly quantitative discipline such as Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field. Fluency in English and/or German is expected, along with solid programming skills in object-oriented languages such as Python or C++. Familiarity with Linux systems, a proactive mindset, and the ability to work independently are essential. Experience with deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch is also required.
Additional experience in areas such as object detection and tracking, generative networks, rendering techniques, Bayesian inference or Monte Carlo methods, reinforcement learning, Time-of-Flight sensors, or ROS would be highly valuable.
Candidates who bring expertise in cloud computing platforms such as Slurm, AWS, or Azure, have published research at leading conferences (e.g., CVPR, ICML, ECCV, ICCV, SIGGRAPH), or possess hands-on experience with optimization methods and advanced sensing technologies (LiDAR, RADAR, or camera systems) will be considered exceptional.
We offer a friendly work environment with flexible work and meeting times, excellent equipment and a challenging professional environment
as well as
- an active onboarding process to provide new employees with the skills and knowledge that are important to their success in our institute and their careers,
- a varied, future-oriented and responsible field of activity,
- professional training opportunities and support in professional development,
- an additional pension scheme (VBL),
- 30 days annual leave, flexible working hours (flexitime),
- a salary based on TV-L (collective agreement for the public service of the federal states) in accordance with qualifications and professional experience with annual bonus payment,
- capital allowance of up to € 150 per month, or alternatively a BVG job ticket plus the remaining balance,
- the use of canteens and sports programs of the Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) at reduced rates.
Applicants with disabilities will be given preference if equally qualified. Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply, since women are under-represented in natural sciences and ZIB seeks to increase the proportion of women in this field.
Please send your complete application including all relevant documents by December 7th, 2025 (date of receipt), quoting the Reference Number IWA 21/25 as one PDF file to: jobs@zib.de.
For further information about the position, please refer to our website www.zib.de or contact Max Zimmer (zimmer@zib.de).
Our private policy statement regarding application data is available at www.zib.de/impressum.
For further job offers please visit our website at www.zib.de/jobadvertisement.