PhD - Scalable and Efficient Reinforcement Learning Methods for Physical AI in Renningen, Deutschland

Tasks

At Bosch Research, we are pioneering the next generation of Physical AI-intelligent systems that can perceive, reason, and act robustly in the real world. From automated driving to robotics, our goal is to develop AI technologies that are not only highly capable but also safe, efficient, and scalable.

Despite remarkable progress in foundation models and end-to-end learning, today's autonomous systems still struggle to generalize reliably to new situations and often require enormous amounts of data and computational resources. For Bosch products, however, AI solutions must deliver strong performance while operating under real-world constraints such as limited compute, energy efficiency, safety, and reliability.

• In this PhD project, you will explore new approaches for creating the next generation of efficient autonomous decision-making systems.
• Your research will combine ideas from imitation learning, reinforcement learning, large-scale simulation, world models, and model compression to develop AI agents (across several embodiments) that can continuously improve, adapt to novel situations, and transfer effectively from simulation to reality.
• A key focus of the project will be enabling resource-efficient Physical AI by achieving the reliability and generalization of today's frontier AI systems while significantly reducing computational requirements for deployment on real devices.
• By joining Bosch Research, you will have the opportunity to work at the intersection of cutting-edge AI research and real-world industrial impact, collaborating with leading experts from academia and industry to shape future intelligent products and services.

profile

• Education: excellent Master's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Mathematics, Physics or a comparable field
• Experience and Knowledge:
  • extensive hands-on experience and theoretical understanding of reinforcement learning (RL), ideally with expertise in emerging behaviors, Safe RL, Offline RL, and/or Multi-agent RL, combined with exceptional Python skills and deep knowledge of industry-standard ML frameworks (eg, PyTorch, Hugging Face, JAX, TensorFlow)
  • expertise in software development within larger teams and in deploying ML-based systems for real-world applications; background in MLOps and CI/CD is a plus
  • good knowledge of C++ and related frameworks (eg, ROS 2)
  • publications at top-tier conferences in machine learning, robotics, or computer vision (eg, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, IROS, ICRA) are a plus
• Personality and Working Practice: you work in a methodical and structured way, with a strong focus on solutions, quality, and ownership; with a proactive approach, you take initiative and tackle complex challenges while working as a team‑oriented professional who thrives in highly collaborative, fast‑paced research and development environments and actively contributes to shared success; a strong understanding of AI business models drives you to move beyond prototypes towards fully deployable solutions in close collaboration with business stakeholders
• Enthusiasm : deep enthusiasm for tackling complex technical challenges and developing novel, impactful solutions within interdisciplinary teams; passion for the synergistic potential between reinforcement learning and generative AI
• Languages : fluent in English, German is a plus

Things to know about the job

The final PhD topic is subject to your university.

Start: September 2026

Please submit all relevant documents (including curriculum vitae, certificates).

Diversity and inclusion are not just trends for us but are firmly anchored in our corporate culture. Therefore, we welcome all applications, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, ethnic origin or sexual identity.

Work #LikeABosch starts here: Apply now!

Application information

As long as this position is advertised in our job portal, we are looking for suitable candidates.

For data protection reasons, applications are only accepted via our application portal. We regret that we cannot consider applications submitted by email or post.

What we offer: Benefits at Bosch

Financial benefits

Targeted talent development

Work-life balance

Health and well-being

mobility

Further benefits

Financial benefits

“I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money, but I have a lot of money because I pay good wages.” – Robert Bosch, 1931. At Bosch, we live by this principle to this day: In addition to attractive salaries, we offer numerous financial benefits, such as bonuses for our collective contribution to the company’s success, individual performance-based compensation, and private and company pension plans. Our employees also enjoy a range of perks: Besides access to discount portals for numerous online shops and services, they naturally also benefit from special offers on Bosch products.

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Financial benefits

“I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money, but I have a lot of money because I pay good wages.” – Robert Bosch, 1931. At Bosch, we live by this principle to this day: In addition to attractive salaries, we offer numerous financial benefits, such as bonuses for our collective contribution to the company’s success, individual performance-based compensation, and private and company pension plans. Our employees also enjoy a range of perks: Besides access to discount portals for numerous online shops and services, they naturally also benefit from special offers on Bosch products.

Targeted talent development

Creating new things, developing further and growing – that's Bosch. Development plays a central role for us. It's one of the reasons why we've been shaping markets and technologies for more than 130 years. That's why we offer our employees a wide range of development opportunities: from first-class training programs to diverse career paths.

Work-life balance

Whether it's new career goals, personal development, or more time for family, friendships, and hobbies – priorities can differ from person to person and change throughout life. That's why we offer flexible work arrangements, including job sharing, flexible shift systems, part-time options, and sabbaticals. These allow you to tailor your working hours and location to your own needs while also aligning them with the requirements of the team and the specific tasks at hand.

Health and well-being

The well-being of our employees is important to us. Therefore, we offer a variety of health-promoting initiatives and programs: We provide numerous preventative care options focused on physical and mental health. In addition, there are many self-organized clubs and groups where employees can pursue hobbies and passions – together with colleagues. Community strengthens: We have many networks covering a wide range of topics, from family to diversity. These networks provide opportunities for our employees to get involved with and support each other.

mobility

We ensure our employees arrive at work relaxed. This can mean making the daily commute easier with a Bosch shuttle or company bike. Those who wish to work abroad for a short period can count on our support – we are happy to explore the possibilities. For longer stays abroad, we also provide our employees and their families with comprehensive support before and during their time abroad: from onboarding and mentoring to language courses and a well-planned return.

Further benefits

All the advantages at a glance: An insight into all the other benefits and the stories behind them, showing how they enrich everyday work life.

Welcome to Renningen

Our research campus in Renningen forms the international hub for our research and advanced development, cross-domain computing solutions, and Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence divisions. Employees from all over the world are working to find answers to the questions of tomorrow. To allow our researchers' ideas to flourish, the campus is a network of short paths between communication and inspiration, where creativity knows no bounds. Do you also want to shape the future? We look forward to your curiosity and innovative spirit.

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Welcome to Bosch

At Bosch, we shape the future with high-quality technologies and services that inspire and improve people's lives. Our promise to our employees is unwavering: We grow together, enjoy our work, and inspire one another. Welcome to Bosch.

Robert Bosch GmbH looks forward to receiving your application!