Ohm University (Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm) — one of Bavaria’s leading universities of applied sciences, with strong industry connections and a family-friendly university certificate since 2005 — is recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for a fixed-term position until 31 October 2028, paid at TV-L pay group 13. The role focuses on developing and implementing AI and ML solutions for practical applications in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs / Mittelstand) — spanning process optimization, automation, quality assurance, and knowledge management — working closely with SME partners, identifying use cases, collecting data, validating solutions, and acquiring third-party funded research projects. The position requires a completed Master’s degree and doctorate in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Data Science, Engineering or a related field, solid Python programming skills, and hands-on ML framework experience with scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and/or PyTorch. Excellent German and English at C1 level are required.
Compensation, Contract & Working Conditions
Pay Group: TV-L Entgeltgruppe 13 (EG 13) — the standard public service pay grade for academic staff with doctoral qualification at German universities of applied sciences | Salary details at www.oeffentlicher-dienst.info
Contract: Fixed-term employment contract until 31 October 2028 — approximately 2+ years of funded research employment starting from the appointment date
Part-Time: Part-time working is possible provided full-day workplace coverage is guaranteed through job sharing arrangements
Locations: Alternating between Nuremberg and Kronach, Bavaria — flexible and mobile working time models available
Family Support: Ohm University has held the “Family-Friendly University” certificate since 2005 — support in reconciling family and career is actively provided
About Ohm University — Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm
Institution: Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm (Ohm University) — one of Bavaria’s largest and most practically-oriented universities of applied sciences, with strong industry and SME connections across the Franconia region
Research Context: Interdisciplinary working environment with close links to medium-sized businesses (Mittelstand) and industry — applied AI research that directly addresses real operational challenges faced by German SMEs
Family-Friendly: “Family-Friendly University” (Familiengerechte Hochschule) certificate holder since 2005 — one of the earliest German universities to receive and maintain this accreditation
Diversity: Equal opportunity employer — people with severe disabilities given preference if essentially equally qualified | University actively works to increase proportion of women in academic positions — applications from women expressly encouraged
Development Support: Support for further training and conference attendance — professional development actively invested in for all research staff
Why This Ohm University Postdoc AI Position in Nuremberg Is a Career-Defining Opportunity in 2026
Applied AI at the SME Frontier: Developing and implementing AI solutions specifically for small and medium-sized German businesses — the backbone of Germany’s economy and one of the most practically important and professionally consequential AI application contexts in the country — positions this Postdoc at the intersection of cutting-edge AI research and genuine industrial impact in a way that purely academic or purely industrial roles rarely achieve
TV-L EG13 Security: German public service TV-L EG13 employment provides one of the most financially transparent, professionally respected, and personally secure employment frameworks available to doctoral-qualified researchers in Germany — with defined salary scales, pension contributions, and the institutional support of a well-established Bavarian university of applied sciences
Third-Party Funding Acquisition: The explicit expectation that the Postdoc will acquire research and development projects (third-party funding) — gaining direct experience in DFG, BMBF, BMWi, EU Horizon, or Bavarian state funding applications — builds the research leadership capability that is the foundation of independent academic research careers
Nuremberg Innovation Ecosystem: Nuremberg’s position as a major Bavarian technology, manufacturing, and innovation hub — with strong industry connections, a vibrant SME ecosystem, and proximity to Munich’s tech and academic environment — creates an exceptional professional network for applied AI researchers
Position Overview — Postdoctoral Researcher AI & ML for SMEs
This Postdoctoral Researcher position at Ohm University Nuremberg is a fixed-term, full-time academic research role within a university of applied sciences research environment with close industry connections to small and medium-sized German enterprises. You will develop and implement AI and machine learning solutions for practical SME applications in process optimization, automation, quality assurance, and knowledge management; work closely with SME partners to identify use cases, collect relevant data, and validate developed solutions in real operational contexts; acquire research and development projects (third-party funded); independently organize and manage projects, tasks, and time management; and scientifically analyze project results and publish them as peer-reviewed publications. The role requires a completed Master’s degree and doctorate in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field, practical software development experience, solid Python programming skills, hands-on ML framework experience (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch), excellent German and English at C1 level, and strong interest in current AI and ML developments with specific focus on SME applications.
Why This Ohm University AI Postdoc Position Is the Applied Research Career of 2026 in Bavaria: PhD-qualified researchers in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Data Science, or Engineering — who combine solid Python programming capability, hands-on ML framework experience (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch), genuine interest in applying AI to SME and Mittelstand operational challenges (process optimization, automation, quality assurance, knowledge management), demonstrated or developing experience in third-party research project acquisition, strong analytical and conceptual skills, and excellent German and English at C1 level — have an exceptional opportunity at Ohm University to pursue meaningful applied AI research with real SME impact, TV-L EG13 public service employment security, active conference and training support, and the family-friendly, flexible working environment of one of Bavaria’s most established and industry-connected universities of applied sciences.
Key Responsibilities
Applied AI & ML Solution Development for SMEs / Mittelstand
- Develop and implement AI and machine learning solutions for practical applications in German SMEs and Mittelstand companies — applying the combination of ML algorithm selection and implementation skill, software engineering capability, and industrial domain understanding that translates academic ML knowledge into production-ready AI solutions that address the specific process optimization, automation, quality assurance, and knowledge management challenges that German small and medium-sized enterprises face in their daily operations, with the practical engineering pragmatism that adapts algorithm complexity and computational requirements to the resource constraints and IT infrastructure realities of SME environments
- Work closely with SME partners to identify suitable use cases and collect relevant data — conducting the structured stakeholder engagement, operational process analysis, and data landscape assessment activities that identify the specific SME operational challenges where AI and ML solutions can create genuine and measurable value, translating informal descriptions of operational problems into precisely-defined AI use cases with clear success criteria, data requirements, and implementation feasibility assessments
- Validate developed AI and ML solutions in practical application at SME partner sites — designing and executing the rigorous evaluation methodology (appropriate train/test splitting, cross-validation, domain-appropriate performance metrics, real-world pilot deployment assessment) that provides credible, statistically sound evidence of solution effectiveness in the specific operational context of the partner SME, distinguishing genuine improvement from apparent improvement caused by overfitting, distribution shift, or inappropriate evaluation methodology
- Develop and implement AI solutions for process optimization — applying reinforcement learning, simulation-based optimization, time-series forecasting, anomaly detection, and other relevant ML approaches to SME manufacturing, logistics, service delivery, and administrative process optimization challenges, developing the specific ML solution architectures that improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance throughput within the specific constraints of SME production and operational environments
Third-Party Project Acquisition & Independent Research Management
- Acquire research and development projects and provide technical and organizational support — identifying relevant national and EU funding opportunities (BMBF, BMWi, Bavarian state programs, EU Horizon, Zentral-Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand ZIM), developing compelling research proposals in collaboration with SME partners and academic collaborators, managing the administrative and scientific dimensions of funding applications, and providing the ongoing technical and organizational project management that ensures funded research projects deliver their committed milestones and scientific outputs within budget and timeline
- Independently organize and manage projects, tasks, and time management — applying the self-directed research management discipline that doctoral training develops to the more complex and institutionally structured environment of a university research position, maintaining reliable progress across multiple concurrent project threads (SME solution development, third-party funding acquisition, publication preparation, conference attendance, teaching support) without losing the quality or deadline commitment that research funders, SME partners, and the university institution expect
Scientific Analysis, Publication & Research Community Contribution
- Scientifically analyze project results and publish them as peer-reviewed publications — applying rigorous scientific analysis methodology to the results of applied AI and ML projects at SME partners, extracting the generalizable scientific insights from specific implementation experiences, and presenting these findings in the structured, evidence-based, methodologically sound format that peer-reviewed journal and conference publications require, contributing to the scientific literature on applied AI for SMEs and Mittelstand in a way that advances both the academic field and the practical knowledge base available to other researchers and practitioners in this area
- Represent the research group’s work at academic conferences and industry events — presenting research findings to both scientific and practitioner audiences with the dual communication skill that applied AI research requires, adjusting the level of technical detail, the emphasis on practical implications, and the framing of results appropriately for each audience type while maintaining scientific accuracy and integrity throughout
Requirements Summary
- Completed Master’s degree and doctorate (Promotion/PhD) in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Data Science, Engineering, or a closely related discipline — the specific academic qualification combination that is the fundamental prerequisite for a Postdoctoral researcher position at a German university of applied sciences
- Practical experience in the development and implementation of software solutions — demonstrated through research projects, industry placements, or professional employment that shows real-world software development capability beyond purely academic coding
- Solid Python programming skills and in-depth ML framework experience (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch) — the specific technical tools that the role’s applied AI and ML development work requires
- Excellent German and English at minimum C1 level — for SME partner communication in German and scientific publication in English
- Strong interest in current AI and ML developments with specific focus on medium-sized companies — genuine research motivation rather than generic ML interest
- High initiative, commitment, strong analytical and conceptual skills, and enjoyment of interdisciplinary collaboration — the personal and professional qualities that make applied AI research at a university of applied sciences genuinely productive
About Ohm University & Applied AI Research Careers in Nuremberg 2026
Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm‘s distinctive positioning — as a large, practically-oriented Bavarian university of applied sciences with deep industry and SME connections in the Franconia region — creates a research environment for applied AI researchers that is genuinely different from both pure university research institutes and purely industry-based R&D: one where rigorous scientific methodology (peer-reviewed publications, third-party funded project acquisition) is systematically combined with direct industrial application (SME partner collaboration, real-world solution deployment and validation) in the way that the most commercially consequential and academically respected applied AI research requires. For Postdoctoral researchers who want their Python and ML framework skills, their process optimization and automation knowledge, and their scientific publication capability to contribute simultaneously to the advancement of the AI research field and the practical improvement of real German SME operations — in a TV-L EG13 employment framework that provides financial transparency, institutional support, and the family-friendly flexibility of one of Bavaria’s most employee-caring universities — the Ohm University Nuremberg Postdoc position available until October 2028 is one of the most professionally worthwhile and personally fulfilling applied AI research appointments currently advertised in Germany.
Your Career Growth Path: Postdoctoral Researcher → Senior Researcher / Research Group Leader → Professor for Applied AI (FH/HAW) → Head of AI Research Institute — or → Senior Applied AI Researcher (Industry) → Principal AI Scientist → Director of AI Research — dual academic and industry career trajectories built on the applied research foundation of this Ohm University Postdoc appointment.
Who Should Apply?
- Recent PhD Graduates — AI / ML / Computer Science (Germany or International): Who completed their doctorate in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Data Science, or Engineering within the last 3 years, have solid Python and ML framework skills, and want a funded Postdoc position with TV-L EG13 compensation and real SME application focus in Bavaria
- Industry AI Researchers with PhD — Academic Research Transition: Currently working in AI or ML research in industry who hold a doctorate and want to return to an academic research environment with the applied industry-connection and publication opportunities that Ohm University’s SME-focused research program provides
- PhD Candidates — Thesis Completion Stage: Who will complete their doctoral thesis within the next 3–6 months and want to secure a Postdoc position that provides a direct bridge from doctoral research into independently-managed applied AI research at a German university of applied sciences
- Applied ML Researchers — SME or Mittelstand Experience: With doctoral qualifications and specific research or professional experience in applying AI and ML to SME operational challenges (process optimization, automation, quality assurance, knowledge management) who want to contribute their applied domain expertise to Ohm University’s industry-connected research program
- International Postdoc Candidates — Germany Relocation: With PhD qualifications in relevant fields, Python and ML framework skills, and German language proficiency at C1 level who want to pursue a funded Postdoc in Bavaria’s vibrant technology and industrial innovation ecosystem at a well-established, family-friendly university of applied sciences
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