PhD Student Commercial Vehicle Development (f/m/d)

Brief Role Description

The development of innovative commercial vehicles thrives on curiosity for new technologies and a continuous focus on current trends. When these trends are recognized as forward-looking, they form the foundation for targeted research and development. This gives rise to solutions that not only impress from a technical standpoint but also meet the real demands of the market and society. Only through this process does the product portfolio remain flexible, relevant, and sustainably successful. Actively help shape the mobility of tomorrow – bring in your ideas and become part of the development!

Possible Tasks within this Role

We are looking for a doctoral candidate (PhD student) in one of the following fields of research:

• Autonomous Driving: Determination of function‑relevant contamination thresholds, analysis of the performance of sensor cleaning systems, and the design of demand‑oriented cleaning strategies
• Virtual Calibration and Application of Control Functions in Multibody Simulation: Parameterization of active control systems and the use of AI methods with the goal of prototype‑free development
• Use of Humanoid Robots: Concepts for integration and accommodation within the vehicle, as well as application scenarios in B2B and private environments

The final doctoral topic is defined together with the professor. The prerequisite for the cooperation is the confirmation of supervision as well as a confirmed delimitation of topics by the professor of a university or research institution entitled to confer a doctorate.

Qualification Requirements

• Good to very good university degree qualifying for doctoral studies in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or comparable fields of study
• In-depth knowledge in the areas of autonomous driving, virtual testing, simulation, or robotics
• Practical experience in the development process
• Experience in the development of data‑driven methods (simulation, automation) and the use of modern tools (MATLAB, CAE/CAD)
• German language level B2 and English language level C1
• Intercultural competence is desirable

The following documents must be submitted with the application

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Current transcript of records or certificate
• Work permit for non-EU citizens

Keywords

Dissertation, Technology Transfer, Future Mobility, Interdisciplinary Research, System Innovation