SICK is one of the world’s leading solutions providers for sensor-based applications in the industrial sector. Founded in 1946 by Dr.-Ing. e. h. Erwin Sick and headquartered in Waldkirch im Breisgau near Freiburg, the company is a technology and market leader with 63 subsidiaries and affiliates as well as numerous agencies around the globe. SICK has more than 10,000 employees worldwide and generated a group revenue of EUR 1.8 billion in the 2025 fiscal year.

Job Description
Thesis: Agent-Based Software Development-Specification-Driven Porting of a Sensor Tool

Summer Semester 2027 – limited to 3–6 months

 

Generative AI is fundamentally changing modern software development. Manual coding is increasingly giving way to agentic workflows in which AI agents independently generate, test, and iteratively improve code based on a specification. You will investigate the practical potential of this approach using a specific application: porting an existing sensor configuration tool to a new software platform. The focus of your thesis is to design and implement a specification-driven, agentic development workflow that enables you to carry out this porting process largely with AI support and evaluate the results.

 

YOUR TASKS:

  • Familiarize yourself with the existing software and its functionality, and derive the specification of the current application, including through reverse engineering
  • Design a specification-driven, agentic development workflow and select suitable tools and methods
  • Implement a prototype of the workflow and use it to generate software for the target platform
  • Port selected functions as a proof of concept and demonstrate the feasibility of the approach
  • Evaluate the results using appropriate criteria, such as code quality, testability, development effort, and transferability, and derive recommendations for future use
  • Document your approach and findings

 

YOUR PROFILE:

  • Studying Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a comparable field
  • Good programming skills, ideally in Python and/or C; basic knowledge of web technologies such as Angular/TypeScript is an advantage
  • Interest in generative AI, large language models, and agentic workflows
  • Initial experience with AI-assisted software development is an advantage
  • Independent, structured, and analytical approach to work, with an enthusiasm for exploring new topics
Information at a Glance
Posting Start Date:  10/16/26
Requisition-ID:  38310
Posting Job Location:  Donaueschingen
Full-time/Part-time:  Full-time

Contact: Sarah Disch

At SICK, we value the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our people. This enriches us as an organization. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect and stand firmly against any form of discrimination.