JOB DETAILS
Lead ML Engineer (m/f/x)
CompanyCofinity-X GmbH
LocationCologne
Work ModeOn Site
PostedOctober 1, 2026
About The Company
As an operator of data ecosystems such as Catena-X, Cofinity-X enables standardized, secure, and sovereign exchange of data between all participants in industrial value chains. We provide the technical infrastructure for data ecosystems, support the onboarding of participants, and operate a marketplace for apps and services, including our own solutions. www.cofinity-x.com
Founded by world-leading industry stakeholders – BASF, BMW Group, Henkel, Mercedes-Benz, SAP, Schaeffler, Siemens, T-Systems, Volkswagen and ZF – Cofinity-X enables companies across industrial value chains to realize important efficiency benefits.
About the Role
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
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 lunch subsidy (up to 115 EUR)
- Deutschland Ticket and Job Bike for environmentally friendly mobility options
- Workation to work remotely from different locations within 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.Key Skills
Machine LearningLeadershipFederated LearningLLMsAI InfrastructureStakeholder ManagementSovereign AIDataspace TechnologyOpen-sourceMentoringProduct ManagementAI ArchitectureTeam BuildingCoaching
Categories
TechnologySoftwareManagement & LeadershipData & AnalyticsEngineering
Benefits
Hybrid working modelFlexible working hoursAnnual training budgetFree choice of hardwareMonthly lunch subsidyDeutschland TicketJob BikeWorkationPension schemeTeam events
Job Information
📋Core Responsibilities
Lead the Machine Learning team to develop sovereign AI solutions and define the technical roadmap for AI integration. Collaborate with product teams and dataspace experts while recruiting and mentoring a high-performing engineering team.
📋Job Type
permanent employee
📊Experience Level
5-10
💼Company Size
97
📊Visa Sponsorship
No
💼Language
English
🏢Working Hours
40 hours
Apply Now →
You'll be redirected to
the company's application page