Internal Doctoral Project - Agentic Modernization of Legacy Enterprise Systems - fixed term contract -

In the Audi doctoral programs, you combine academic research with practical questions from the corporate environment. You will independently conduct research on an innovative topic with a direct connection to Audi and work closely with Audi as well as a university or university of applied sciences., We are seeking an exceptional doctoral researcher to join our team and investigate one of the most pressing challenges in modern software engineering: how to systematically and reliably modernize large legacy enterprise systems using Generative AI and agentic coding approaches. This is a unique opportunity to bridge cutting-edge AI research with real-world software engineering challenges in a complex, mission-critical domain. As a PhD candidate, you will develop a comprehensive methodological framework for spec-driven, traceable, and verifiable agentic modernization of legacy systems-bridging cutting-edge AI research with real-world software engineering challenges in complex, mission-critical domains.

The contract is a a part-time (28hrs /week) fixed term contract for the duration of three years.

Job Purpose/Role

• Your doctoral research addresses the challenge of modernizing large legacy enterprise systems using Generative AI and agentic coding approaches. The focus lies on developing systematic, methodologically rigorous approaches for spec-driven transformation that ensure traceability, verifiability, and enterprise governance throughout the modernization process. Key themes include specification extraction from legacy artifacts, agentic orchestration strategies, integration of deterministic analysis with AI components, verification and governance mechanisms, knowledge preservation, and practical applicability in enterprise environments. As part of your project you will contribute to scientific publications and participate in specialist conferences, workshops, and exchange formats. *

• A very good Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence or a closely related discipline
• Evidence of strong academic or research potential, demonstrated through the Master’s thesis, research projects, publications, open-source contributions, or technically substantial software projects
• Strong written and spoken English; German language skills are beneficial but not required
• Software Engineering: Strong foundation in software architecture, modularity, testing, debugging, and software evolution, with the ability to understand and improve complex systems
• Programming Skills: Solid programming experience in at least one modern language, combined with practical knowledge of version control, automated testing, build systems, and larger software projects
• Program Analysis & Software Understanding: Knowledge of static or dynamic program analysis, compiler construction, parsing, language processing, or related methods; experience with ASTs, call graphs, data-flow/control-flow analysis, or code-analysis tools is a plus
• AI/ML Knowledge: Interest or experience in Large Language Models, Generative AI, and AI-assisted software development, including a critical understanding of limitations, reliability, and failure modes
• Research & Academic Readiness: Ability to work with scientific literature, define research questions, design reproducible experiments, and communicate technical findings clearly
• You approach your work with curiosity, systems thinking and scientific rigor
• Formal admission to the doctoral program is the responsibility of the respective university/university of applied sciences and is subject to the applicable doctoral regulations
• Please make sure to include relevant publications as well as current grades in your application The Audi doctoral programs give you the opportunity to work on a future-oriented topic with strong practical relevance. You will receive professional guidance from the Audi specialist department and gain access to the Audi doctoral candidate network. In addition, the program offers various exchange and development formats that support your professional and personal growth.