AI Adoption Lead for R&D

At ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we’ll give you what you need to make it happen. It won’t always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you’ll never run alone. Run what runs the world.

This role sits within ABB's Robotics business, a leading global robotics company. We're entering an exciting new chapter as we’ve announced the plan for SoftBank Group to acquire ABB Robotics. SoftBank is a globally recognized technology group and investor/operator focused on AI, robotics, and next-generation computing. By joining us now, you’ll be part of a pioneering team shaping the future of robotics—working alongside world-class experts in a fast-moving, innovation-driven environment.

This Position reports to:

R&D Global Unit Lead

In this role, you will lead the acceleration of R&D's adoption of Artificial Intelligence to improve efficiency, quality, and speed across engineering processes. You will enable AI integration in software and hardware design, verification & validation, and reporting—turning innovative concepts into everyday engineering practice. Your mission is to ensure scalable, sustainable adoption across all R&D workflows. As a central enabler and connector, you will operate in a highly collaborative global environment, working closely with multiple R&D sites, functions, and disciplines. You will drive alignment and consistency across our worldwide organization, helping to redefine processes, tools, and ways of working.

The work model for the role is hybrid. #LI-hybrid

This is a global role; the preferred locations are Sweden, China, Germany, India or Spain.

Your responsibilities:

Own and execute the global R&D AI/tooling roadmap, translating high-impact AI opportunities across software, hardware, testing, and reporting into scalable engineering capabilities

Drive adoption across all global sites, embedding AI into engineering workflows, tools, processes, and standards with measurable business impact

Build the cross-site operating model for AI by connecting engineers, process owners, and tool experts to share knowledge, reuse solutions, establish best practices, and accelerate progress globally

Establish governance frameworks and metrics to track AI adoption, impact on engineering efficiency, and quality improvements across R&D

Lead organizational change and adoption readiness initiatives, ensuring smooth transition to AI-enabled ways of working and addressing stakeholder needs across cultures and functions

Qualifications for the role

Master's or Bachelor's degree in engineering (or equivalent), with 5+ years in transformation or process improvement roles within R&D or engineering environments

Knowledge of AI technologies, including LLM agent-based and autonomous tools, with programming skills in Python, Java, or C++ considered a strong advantage

Proven experience introducing new ways of working, digital tools, and continuous improvement initiatives at scale — with solid knowledge of digital engineering ecosystems such as DevOps, CAD, and PLM

Demonstrated effectiveness in global, multicultural, cross-site environments with strong stakeholder management and communication skills

Analytical mindset focused on delivering measurable business outcomes, with the ability to connect strategy to day-to-day engineering practice

More about us

You'll be part of a global R&D Operations organization dedicated to improving engineering efficiency through process excellence, tools, and innovation. Our mission is to reduce time to market, eliminate inefficiencies, and enhance quality across the entire product lifecycle. This is a unique opportunity to shape how AI transforms R&D at scale—driving sustainable change that impacts how thousands of engineers work globally.

We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit www.abb.com to read more about us and learn about the impact of our solutions across the globe.