AI & NLP Solutions Engineer (d/w/m)

About DIE ZEIT

DIE ZEIT is a leading provider of sophisticated print and online journalism in text and image, for elaborate data visualizations and digital storytelling. DIE ZEIT stands for the analytical classification of world events, opinionated commentary, excellent visual design, as well as high-reach podcasts and video formats.

Your Tasks

• Development and Operation: You will conceptualize, implement, and manage AI and NLP-based applications from idea to productive deployment.
• Model Development: You will train, evaluate, and optimize language models (especially LLMs), focusing on open-source solutions and their adaptation to specific requirements.
• System Architecture: You will be responsible for the further development of our core applications, particularly in the area of intelligent search technologies (Retrieval-Augmented Generation).
• Software Engineering: You will write robust and maintainable code, primarily in Python. Maintenance and further development of applications in container environments (Kubernetes) are also part of your responsibilities.
• Data Analysis: Occasionally, you will also perform complex data analyses to generate insights.
• Innovation & Research: You will continuously monitor technological trends in AI/NLP, evaluate new approaches, and proactively contribute ideas for the further development of our products.
• Teamwork & Cooperation: You will work closely with colleagues from various departments and support other project teams in integrating AI and NLP solutions.

Your Profile

• A completed degree in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Data Science, or a comparable field, and practical experience in software development with Python.
• In-depth practical knowledge in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (e.g., text embeddings, classification, transformer architectures).
• Experience with relevant libraries such as Huggingface, scikit-learn, or PyTorch/TensorFlow.
• Practical experience working with Large Language Models (LLMs), including open-source models, and architectures like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Knowledge in deploying and maintaining applications, ideally with Docker and Kubernetes (MLOps), and confident handling of SQL databases and the shell.
• A strong analytical and solution-oriented mindset combined with creativity in problem-solving and the ability to react flexibly to new challenges.
• A strong interest in the media industry, quality journalism, and the societal implications of Artificial Intelligence.
• Teamwork skills and clear communication to convey complex technical issues understandably.

Our Team

As part of our editorial Data Science & AI team, you will develop AI-powered applications for use in the editorial department and on www.zeit.de. Your solutions will make the work of our editors easier and enable complex research and text analyses. You will evaluate experimental AI approaches and test ideas using prototypes. In addition to sound knowledge in software development and machine learning, you bring a great passion for ZEIT's quality journalism.

Our Commitment to Your Development

• Flexible Working: Our conferences and most team meetings are held hybrid. You can work from home for part of the week. Once a month, the entire editorial team comes together for the "ZON-Tag".
• Development: We offer all employees internal and external training opportunities as well as our own mentoring program.
• Onboarding: To help you settle in and find your way during the first few months, we support you with our onboarding and buddy program. This way, you will get to know your new colleagues and our tools in detail.
• Team: We maintain respectful interaction and are committed to values such as independence, equal treatment, and diversity. More than 250 people work in our new Berlin newsroom. We work closely with the editorial team of the print ZEIT.
• Attractive Location: Our editorial office is centrally located near Potsdamer Platz, with excellent public transport connections. We support our employees' mobility with a travel cost subsidy and bike leasing.

The position is to be filled from May 1, 2026, full-time (36 hours per week), fixed-term until April 30, 2028, at the Berlin location.

You can find initial insights on kununu, LinkedIn, XING, or our ZEIT career page.

As long as this position is visible on our career page, you are welcome to apply - there is no application deadline. You can find further answers about our application process in our FAQs.

We take care of each other. The ZEIT publishing group is an employer that stands for equal opportunities and respectful interaction. We are committed to fair employment opportunities regardless of ethnic or social origin, gender, religion, belief, age, sexual identity, or disability. We expressly encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply and are particularly pleased about applications from individuals who wish to contribute to the diversity of our company. Our work environment is characterized by appreciation and recognition - we are committed to this every day.

Benefits:

• Hybrid remote model
• Flexible working hours
• Home office option
• Professional development opportunities
• Mentoring program
• Onboarding program
• Travel cost subsidy
• Bike leasing
• Central Berlin location with excellent transport links

Salary: Not specified Location: Berlin, Germany Contract: Fixed-term (May 1, 2026 - April 30, 2028) Hours: Full-time (36 hours/week)