The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is recruiting a full-time academic researcher in Enterprise Cloud Management and DevOps at the SAP University Competence Center in Garching near Munich.
The position offers 100% employment at TV-L E13 and is aimed at applicants who want to pursue a doctorate while working on enterprise cloud systems, DevOps, automation, SAP infrastructure, data and process mining, and agentic AI.
Applicants need an above-average university degree in Business Information Systems, Computer Science or a related field, strong programming skills in Python and Java, and German and English at C1 level or better.
The position is open for an earliest possible start, and the official vacancy does not state a fixed application deadline.
Position at a Glance
Information
Details
Position
Academic Researcher in Enterprise Cloud Management and DevOps
Institution
Technical University of Munich
School
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School of Computation, Information and Technology
Unit
SAP University Competence Center
Location
Garching near Munich, Germany
Position type
Research Assistant / Doctoral Position
Employment
100%
Salary grade
TV-L E13
Start
As soon as possible
PhD option
Yes
German
C1 or higher
English
C1 or higher
Programming
Very good Python and Java
Deadline
Not stated
Application method
Email
TUM states that the position is part of the Wittges research group at the Chair of Business Information Systems and Business Process Management and is connected to the SAP University Competence Center (SAP UCC).
What is the TUM Enterprise Cloud Management and DevOps position?
The position combines academic research, teaching, project management and technical cloud operations.
You will work within the SAP University Competence Center, which operates more than 200 SAP systems used by universities around the world for teaching and research. The UCC also collaborates with industry partners such as SAP and IBM.
The role is designed for candidates who want to pursue a doctorate while contributing to real-world enterprise IT environments.
Your work sits between academic research and practical cloud infrastructure, making it particularly relevant if you are interested in both research and enterprise technology.
What will you work on?
Your responsibilities include several technical and research areas.
Enterprise Cloud and SAP services
You will help design, manage, operate, maintain and further develop SAP cloud services used to provide SAP-specific teaching content.
DevOps and automation
You will evaluate and implement automation opportunities in an enterprise cloud data center.
Relevant technologies mentioned by TUM include:
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- OpenStack
- AWS
- SAP Gardener.
Odoo ERP
You will work on the:
- operation
- further development
- version migration
- project management
of the UCC’s Odoo ERP system.
Research and teaching
The research areas listed by TUM include:
- Business Process Management
- Data and Process Mining
- Agentic AI
- Enterprise Cloud.
The position also includes teaching in Enterprise Data Center and Enterprise Cloud.
Is this a paid PhD position?
Yes, but it is more precise to describe it as a full-time academic employment position with the opportunity to pursue a doctorate.
TUM offers: 100% TV-L E13 employment
The vacancy explicitly confirms remuneration under TV-L pay group E13.
The exact gross monthly salary is not stated in the vacancy itself because TV-L compensation depends on factors such as the applicable experience level.
The official posting also does not state:
- a fixed contract duration
- guaranteed doctoral completion within the employment period
- a specific doctoral supervisor
- a fixed PhD topic.
For that reason, applicants should clarify the doctoral framework during the interview process.
Who can apply?
You need an above-average completed university degree in a relevant field.
TUM explicitly lists:
- Business Information Systems
- Computer Science
- Experimental Physics
- Industrial Engineering
- related disciplines.
The vacancy does not publish a numerical GPA or grade cut-off.
Instead, it asks for an above-average degree, so your transcript and academic performance are likely to matter.
Can I apply with a degree outside Computer Science?
Yes, potentially. TUM explicitly gives Experimental Physics and Industrial Engineering as examples of related disciplines.
So your degree does not have to be titled Computer Science or Business Information Systems.
However, you still need to demonstrate strong technical skills and a clear fit with enterprise cloud, DevOps and software-based research.
Do I need German for this TUM PhD position?
Yes. This is one of the most important eligibility requirements.
TUM requires:
- German: C1 or better
- English: C1 or better.
So English alone is not sufficient for this position.
If you are an international applicant, you should only apply if you can realistically demonstrate C1-level German.
Do I need both Python and Java?
Yes. TUM explicitly asks for very good programming skills in Python and Java. These are not listed as optional skills.
This is therefore not a position where you should assume one strong programming language is enough.
Do I need Kubernetes, AWS or SAP experience?
Not necessarily. TUM describes these as preferred but not mandatory skills.
Helpful experience includes:
- Kubernetes
- AWS
- SAP Gardener
- Odoo
- SAP environments
- Linux systems such as SUSE Linux, Red Hat or Ubuntu
- Keycloak
- LDAP.
If you do not already know all of these technologies, you may still qualify if your core programming and technical profile is strong.
What other skills does TUM expect?
Besides technical skills, TUM expects applicants to show:
- initiative
- communication skills
- teamwork
- interest in project management
- willingness to learn new technologies
- strong technical affinity.
This matters because the role includes both technical implementation and coordination with external partners such as SAP, IBM and much. Consulting.
Can international applicants apply?
The official vacancy does not state a nationality restriction.
However, it also does not explicitly confirm that applicants of all nationalities are eligible.
What is clear is that international applicants must meet the same academic and technical requirements, including C1 German and C1 English.
If you require a visa or work authorization, you should verify your individual employment eligibility with TUM during the recruitment process.
What research areas could my PhD cover?
The vacancy does not define one fixed dissertation topic.
Instead, TUM lists broader research areas including:
- Enterprise Cloud
- Business Process Management
- Data and Process Mining
- Agentic AI.
This suggests that the exact doctoral topic may be developed within the research group and linked to the SAP UCC environment.
Can I do a PhD in Agentic AI in this position?
Potentially. Agentic AI is explicitly listed as one of the research areas.
However, the vacancy does not guarantee that every successful applicant will complete a doctorate specifically on Agentic AI.
You should treat it as one of the available research directions rather than a fixed dissertation topic.
Can I focus on Kubernetes or cloud automation for my PhD?
Potentially. The role includes research and technical implementation around Enterprise Cloud and automation, including Docker, Kubernetes and OpenStack.
Your exact PhD topic would still need to be agreed within the research group.
What benefits does the position offer?
TUM lists several professional-development opportunities.
These include:
- collaboration with industry partners such as SAP and IBM
- access to national and international scientific conferences
- participation in practice-oriented conferences
- professional certification opportunities.
Available certification areas include:
- SAP operations
- SCRUM
- project management
- IT Service Management (ITSM).
This makes the position particularly relevant if you want both an academic doctorate and industry-recognized technical experience.
Interested in computer science or business informatics in Germany?
Explore programmes in Computer Science, Business Information Systems, Data Science and related fields.
The official vacancy asks applicants to submit “substantive application documents” but does not provide a complete document checklist.
You should therefore avoid assuming that a specific set of documents is mandatory unless TUM confirms it.
At minimum, prepare the documents normally expected for an academic application, but check directly with the listed contact if you are unsure about the required package.
How to apply for the TUM Enterprise Cloud and DevOps position
Step 1 — Check your academic fit
Make sure you have an above-average university degree in an eligible or closely related field.
Step 2 — Check the language requirements
You need C1 or higher in both German and English.
Step 3 — Review your technical profile
You should have very good Python and Java skills.
Experience with cloud, SAP, Linux or access-control technologies can strengthen your application but is not mandatory.
