Thesis Student (f/m/d) - AI Tooling in Product Management

Job Description

We help the world run better

At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

What you'll build

At SAP, we are committed to leveraging cloud technology to help solve some of the world's most pressing sustainability challenges.

As we continue to evolve our sustainability portfolio, we are looking for a motivated and analytically driven Thesis Student (f/m/d) to join the Product Management team for Sustainability. In this role, you will investigate where AI tooling creates the highest value across the product lifecycle process from a product management perspective and in the context of enterprise sustainability software — and how that value can be measured.

Position Title: Thesis Student (f/m/d) - AI Tooling in Product Management: Quantifying Value in Enterprise Sustainability Software

Location: Markdorf, Germany

Start Date: 01.09.2026

Duration: 6 months

You will work closely with experts in Product Management and their direct stakeholders across SAP's Sustainability portfolio and collaborate with practitioners in empowered product teams. The role offers the opportunity to engage directly with domain experts, conduct structured research with industry peers, and contribute to a topic that sits at the intersection of AI, sustainability regulation, enterprise software, and modern product management practice.

• Investigate the product lifecycle process end-to-end — from product discovery and stakeholder research through regulatory analysis, prioritization, stakeholder enablement, and delivery support — to identify where AI tooling creates the highest potential for value creation for product managers in a sustainability software context, finally develop a structured value framework grounded in practice.
• Design and conduct expert interviews with product managers and their direct stakeholders inside and outside of SAP to collect first-hand insights on AI adoption, perceived value, and practical limitations across the product operating model — with a specific focus on sustainability-specific product management-owned process steps such as regulatory monitoring, market sensing, and requirements derivation.
• Perform a benchmark analysis of industry best practices to evaluate how leading product organizations in the sustainability and enterprise software space leverage AI tooling — and what success looks like in comparable contexts.
• Develop a measurement framework that defines how the value and impact of AI tooling can be quantified from a product management perspective — including relevant KPIs, efficiency indicators, quality metrics, and adoption signals relevant to sustainability PM workflows.
• Synthesize your findings into clear, actionable recommendations for SAP's Sustainability Product Management organization, translating research insights into concrete next steps for evolving the product operating model.
• Work in an outcome-driven way by focusing on measurable value, practical applicability, and the relevance of your findings for real-world product teams operating in a complex and rapidly changing technological and regulatory environment.

What you bring

We’re looking for someone who takes the initiative, perseveres, and stays curious. You like to work on meaningful innovative projects and are energized by lifelong learning.

• Enrollment in a master's program in Business Informatics / Administration, Information Systems Management, Sustainability Management, or a related field, with a thesis topic aligned to product management, digital transformation, or enterprise AI
• Strong analytical and structured thinking skills, with the ability to design and execute qualitative and quantitative research methods including expert interviews and benchmark analysis
• Genuine interest in AI tooling, modern product management practices, and enterprise sustainability software — combined with strong motivation to deepen your knowledge in sustainability regulation
• Business domain awareness in sustainability topics and an understanding of the complexity this creates for product teams building scalable enterprise solutions
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively alongside Product Management and its key stakeholders
• Basic familiarity with SAP Sustainability solutions or enterprise software environments is a plus, but not required
• Working from the Markdorf office is three times per week required. If you are applying from outside the area, please mention your relocation plans or preferences in your CV (Relocation costs are not reimbursed by the manager/employer)

Where you belong

Be part of SAP Next Gen, a global community for students, universities, schools and educational partners, who are passionate about innovation and technology.

1. Culture of Collaboration: Partner with experienced SAP colleagues and expert mentors who will support your growth. Grow professionally through personalized mentoring, coaching, and career development support.
2. Project-driven Experience: Kickstart your career with hands-on learning experience, making an impact from day one by contributing to meaningful projects that help the world run better. You'll have endless learning resources at your fingertips and gain future-ready skills from a variety of virtual, in-person, and hybrid learning sessions.
3. Gain Visibility: Build relationships with leaders and peers across teams and functions. Showcase your ideas, skills, and creativity in a global, fast-paced environment. Open doors for future career opportunities within SAP and beyond.

This thesis is well suited for candidates who want to grow at the intersection of AI, enterprise software, and modern product management for sustainability challenges — in a domain where regulatory complexity, stakeholder diversity, and the pace of change place particularly high demands on product teams. Your research will have direct relevance for how SAP's Sustainability Product Management teams evolve their ways of working — making this an opportunity to contribute findings that go beyond the academic context.

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Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

We win with inclusion
SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.

AI Usage in the Recruitment Process

For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process.

Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process.

Requisition ID: 455584 | Work Area: Solution and Product Management | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Student | Employment Type: Limited Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid