INTERNSHIP DETAILS

Internship / Masters Thesis - Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Vehicle Functions (m/f/d) Internship / Masters Thesis - Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Vehicle Functions (m/f/d) Internship / Masters Thesis - Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Vehicle Functions (m/f/d)

CompanyVolkswagen AG
LocationMunich
Work ModeOn Site
PostedFebruary 17, 2026
Internship Information
Core Responsibilities
The role involves collaborating with PhD candidates on Reinforcement Learning challenges focused on Vehicle, Energy, Motion & Body (VEMB) functions, requiring the review of state-of-the-art Inverse Reinforcement Learning methods. Responsibilities include selecting, implementing, and adapting IRL methods to infer reward functions from demonstrations, designing experiments, applying learned models, and documenting results, with publication being desired.
Internship Type
full time
Company Size
106947
Visa Sponsorship
No
Language
English
Working Hours
35 hours
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About The Company
The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group is made up of ten brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen, Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge, ŠKODA, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche and Ducati. Our group sells vehicles in 153 countries and operates 114 production plants worldwide. Each working day, around 675,000 employees worldwide produce cars, are involved in vehicle-related services or work in the other fields of business. Our goal is to make mobility sustainable for us and for future generations. Our promise: With electric drive, digital networking and autonomous driving, we make the automobile clean, quiet, intelligent and safe. At the same time, our core product becomes even more emotional and offers a completely new driving experience. It is also becoming part of the solution when it comes to climate and environmental protection. In this way, the car can continue to be a cornerstone of contemporary, individual and affordable mobility in the future. #Shapingmobility Imprint & Legal: http://vw.de/legal-notice DAT: http://vw.de/dat
About the Role

We are CARIAD, the automotive software company of the Volkswagen Group. Our teams build automotive software platforms and digital customer functions for iconic brands like Audi, Volkswagen, and Porsche – supporting the Volkswagen Group in becoming the leading automotive technology company. With CARIDIANS in Germany, the USA, China, Estonia, and India, we are transforming automotive mobility for everyone.

Join us and be part of this exciting journey!

YOUR TEAM

For the department Vehicle, Energy, Motion & Body (VEMB) we are looking for a student (intern or master thesis) for the project “Learning Intelligent Onboard Functions”. Our department develops advanced software for vehicle energy, motion, and body systems. Our VEMB pre-development team works on methods for end-to-end learning of VEMB functions to enable faster, scalable and more cost-effective product development. We cover the entire development range, from initial concepts to proof of concepts in test vehicles. Thereby, we work in close cooperation with the series development departments.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

  • Collaborate closely with the PhD candidates to address the key challenges in Reinforcement Learning, with a focus on VEMB functions
  • Review the state of the art in Inverse Reinforcement Learning
  • Select, implement, and adapt a suitable IRL method to infer reward functions from expert demonstrations 
  • Design and execute experiments (e.g., baselines, ablations, robustness checks) to evaluate performance and transferability
  • Apply the learned reward models to downstream reinforcement learning tasks
  • Document and communicate results. Publication of research results is desired
  • Collaborate with teams in pre-development and series development 

WHO YOU ARE

  • Enrolled student in the a relevant field: Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, etc.
  • Solid background in control theory, Reinforcement Learning, or imitation learning
  • Interest or prior experience in Inverse Reinforcement Learning, learning from demonstrations, or reward learning
  • Experience in Python and with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, Jax, etc.
  • Hands-on experience through real-world projects, such as student projects, internships, or prior work experience
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • High level of commitment, initiative, and teamwork
  • Fluency in English and German and good communication skills

NICE TO KNOW

  • Remote work options within Germany 
  • Duration: 6 months 
  • 35-hour week 
  • Salary: 13,90 €/hour 

At CARIAD, we embrace individuality and diversity because we believe our differences make us stronger. We actively seek to build teams with a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. If you need assistance with your application due to a disability, please reach out to us at careers@cariad.technology - we are happy to support you.

Key Skills
Inverse Reinforcement LearningReinforcement LearningImitation LearningControl TheoryPythonPyTorchJaxExperiment DesignAnalytical SkillsProblem-SolvingTeamworkCommunication
Categories
EngineeringScience & ResearchSoftwareData & AnalyticsTransportation