HOME Data Science & ML Lead ML Engineer (m/f/x)
Cofinity-X GmbH VERIFIED EMPLOYER

Lead ML Engineer (m/f/x).

Data Science & ML Full-Time

Lead ML Engineer (m/f/x): our view in 3 lines...

  • The Role:This role is for an experienced machine learning leader working on sovereign AI and dataspace technology in Europe.
  • The Person:The person will lead the machine learning team, architect training and fine-tuning for AI models, set the ML roadmap, support product teams, and recruit, mentor, and develop engineers.
  • Requirements:The ideal candidate has a Master’s degree in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related discipline, 7+ years of experience in Machine Learning, and good German and English language skills.

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
  • 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 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 
Published October 9, 2026
Location Köln, Germany
Category Data Science & ML  
Job Type Full-Time