Electrical Engineer
Job description, salary, sourcing, 15 interview questions and a 30/60/90 plan to hire an Electrical Engineer in a German SMB.
Compiled by the Join team from public data and our hiring experience.
Updated
At a glance
- Median salary€67,000€54,000 – €88,000
- Time to fill55–85 days
- Experience3–8 years
How to hire an Electrical Engineer for your SMB
Before you write the job posting, settle three framing questions. They determine which profile you actually need and whether a hire is the right answer right now.
Do you need an Electrical Engineer or an electrician with a master craftsman’s qualification? An Electrical Engineer with a degree (BSc or MSc in electrical engineering) brings system-design competence: circuit diagram design from scratch, sizing calculations, standards confidence across DIN VDE and IEC, an interface to mechanical and automation. An electrical master craftsman or technician you can hire for similar money; that profile is stronger in execution and excellent in maintenance, but rarely able to lead a new plant from specification sheet to commissioning as the responsible qualified electrician. If you mainly maintain existing plants or continue existing circuit diagrams, the master craftsman is often the more cost-effective choice; for new design and engineering you need the engineering depth.
Generalist or specialist? A generalist Electrical Engineer covers classic plant-engineering topics (low voltage, switchgear construction, PLC connection, commissioning). Specializations such as functional safety (IEC 61508 and ISO 13849), medium voltage up to 24 kV, railway applications (EN 50121, EN 50128), explosion protection (ATEX) or power electronics are scarce in the market and cost a 10 to 20 percent premium on the median. Clarify early whether your pipeline needs this specialization permanently or whether you bring in an external expert for rare cases.
First or fifth Electrical Engineer? The first person builds the engineering standards: the component library, the EPLAN templates, the test procedure, the documentation structure. You need a profile with 5+ years of experience who can formalize and not just execute. The fifth person enters an existing structure; they should integrate rather than reorganize everything. You recognize both profiles by different answers in the behavioral and values questions (see the evaluation section).
An indicative capacity calculation: an experienced Electrical Engineer at an SMB typically owns 4 to 6 medium-sized projects per year from design to commissioning, in parallel with existing-customer support. Scale the team as soon as you structurally expect more project pipeline or a second specialization is in demand.
JD template
Electrical Engineer (m/w/d) for plant and switchgear construction
[Company name], an SMB in [machinery and plant engineering / automation / energy technology] based in [city], with [X] employees and [X] million € in revenue, is looking for an Electrical Engineer to own the electrical design of our plants and products.
Your mission
As an Electrical Engineer you own the electrical design from the concept phase to commissioning. You work closely with mechanical design, automation and project management and carry the responsibility as a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) under DGUV V3 for the assigned projects. You report to [technical management / the head of engineering].
Key responsibilities
- Design and construction of control cabinets and low-voltage distributions under DIN VDE 0100, IEC 61439 and DIN EN 60204-1.
- Design of multi-page circuit diagrams in [EPLAN Electric P8 / See Electrical Expert], including terminal plans, parts lists and test protocols.
- Sizing of electrical components: cross-sections, protective devices, selectivity, frequency converters, safety functions under DIN EN ISO 13849.
- Interface work with automation: bus topologies (Profinet, EtherCAT), PLC connection, SCADA integration.
- Accompanying and owning on-site commissioning at [customers / in the factory], including the electrical safety inspection under DGUV V3.
- Contribution to standardization and improvement of the internal engineering tools (macro libraries, templates, test procedures).
Profile
- [3 to 8] years of professional experience in electrical design in plant or machinery engineering.
- A completed degree in electrical engineering (BSc or MSc) or a comparable qualification recognized as a prerequisite for the qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) under DGUV V3.
- Routine command of [EPLAN Electric P8 / See Electrical Expert] at project level, not just as a drawing tool.
- Confident application of the relevant standards: DIN VDE 0100, IEC 61439, DIN EN 60204-1, DIN EN ISO 13849. Plus: experience with [IEC 61508 / ATEX / medium voltage / railway applications].
- An understanding of bus systems and PLC connection at least at interface level.
- A willingness to travel for commissioning ([approx. X] days per month).
What we offer
- Gross annual salary: [54 to 88] k€ fixed depending on experience and specialization. [If tariff-bound: classification in IG Metall ERA EG 13-15 with performance and workload allowances.]
- Model: [full-time, hybrid with 2 to 3 days of presence per week, based in [city]].
- Benefits: [company pension, bike leasing, holiday and Christmas bonuses, 30 days of vacation, a professional-development budget (e.g. VDE-Akademie, EPLAN training), flexible working hours, employee parking].
- Stack: [EPLAN Electric P8 / See Electrical Expert, Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT, OPC UA, Confluence documentation].
Salary band
Base salary, gross annual
- 25th percentile
- €54,000
- Median
- €67,000
- 75th percentile
- €88,000
Gross fixed salary per year for an Electrical Engineer with 3 to 8 years of experience at an SMB (machinery and plant engineering, energy technology, automation). The range opens up clearly at the top once a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag) applies (IG Metall ERA, pay grades EG 13-15 with performance and workload allowances). At non-tariff-bound SMBs the median is typically 5 to 10 percent lower than at tariff-bound companies of the same size.
Sources: Destatis Verdiensterhebung, Ingenieurberufe Elektrotechnik (April 2025); StepStone Gehaltsdaten Elektroingenieur:in Deutschland; VDE Gehaltsreport Elektro- und Informationstechnik 2025; IG Metall ERA-Entgelttabelle Metall- und Elektroindustrie 2026
Where to source this role
LinkedIn
€250-500 per month for Job Slots plus Recruiter LiteThe strongest channel for younger Electrical Engineers (3 to 6 years of experience) with a university degree from TU Munich, RWTH Aachen, KIT or TU Berlin. Active sourcing via InMail works better than pure job posts, because many profiles search passively and are well paid through a collective agreement. Expect 40 to 50 percent of qualified applications from here when you recruit actively.
XING
ProJobs from €195 per monthStill very strong for Electrical Engineers in the classic Mittelstand (machinery and plant engineering, energy utilities, switchgear construction), especially in NRW, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Profiles with 8+ years of experience and a collective-agreement background are often more visible here than on LinkedIn. Complements LinkedIn rather than replacing it.
Hays Engineering
Success fee 25-30 percent of the annual fixed salaryA specialized staffing provider with a genuine vertical focus on engineering professions. Worthwhile when you are looking for a rare specialization (medium voltage, functional safety IEC 61508, railway applications) or when the internal search has not produced 3 final candidates after 8 to 10 weeks. Commission model, budget 25 to 30 percent of the annual fixed salary.
VDE career network and TU alumni portals
VDE job posting from €690; alumni portals mostly freeThe VDE career network and the alumni portals of TU Munich, RWTH Aachen, KIT, TU Darmstadt and TU Berlin are undervalued channels. Low volume, but very high signal quality. Especially effective for the direct entry of master's graduates and for targeted outreach to specific specializations (drive technology, power electronics, automation technology).
Evaluation playbook
The assessment of an Electrical Engineer rests on two clearly separable signals: demonstrable design ability (via the case study and technical questions) and a sense of responsibility as a qualified electrician (via the behavioral and values questions). One without the other leads to a mis-hire.
Stage 1: CV review
What to look for: concrete project sizes rather than only task descriptions (contributed to is not enough when the position requires 3 to 8 years of experience), tools used with versions (EPLAN Electric P8 from 2.9, See Electrical Expert), named standards (DIN VDE 0100, IEC 61439, DIN EN 60204-1). Negative: 12-month stints with no recognizable project result. Do not overvalue the degree; an applied-sciences degree with 5 years of plant-engineering experience beats a TU master's without project practice.
Stage 2: Phone screen (30 min)
Three questions: (1) Describe the last project where you owned the control-cabinet layout, from specification sheet to commissioning. (2) Which standards do you work with daily, which do you only know passively? (3) Why are you looking for a change now? The second question separates active users from lip-service candidates very quickly. Outcome: go/no-go in a 5-minute debrief.
Stage 3: Structured technical interview (90 min)
At least two interviewers, one of them an experienced Electrical Engineer. Work through the 15 structured questions above, alternating behavioral, situational, technical, case and values. Have the candidate sketch on the board for the selectivity or VFD question. Independent scoring before the debrief, no premature push for consensus.
Stage 4: Case study circuit diagram design or control-cabinet sizing (2 hours)
A concrete task that fits the role profile: either a sketch and sizing of a main control cabinet for a given machine (power balance, protection concept, selectivity, terminal concept), or the diagnosis of a circuit diagram with built-in faults. Provide the mechanical data sheet, a rough installation description and the target standards. What is assessed is not completeness, but the approach, the standard references and the spotting of flaws.
Structured interview questions
BehavioralCircuit diagram design Describe a project where you designed a circuit diagram or a control-cabinet layout from scratch. Which standard was relevant, which decisions did you have to make and where was the biggest technical hurdle?
What a strong answer surfacesA concrete standard reference (DIN VDE 0100, IEC 61439, DIN EN 60204-1), a clean rationale for the sizing (cross-section, selectivity, short-circuit withstand), a realistic assessment of the hurdle rather than self-promotion. Candidates who name no standard or describe the circuit diagram at symbol level have usually only worked in a supporting capacity.
BehavioralDiagnosis and commissioning Tell me about a situation where you diagnosed a technical fault in a plant that occurred sporadically under load. How did you proceed, which measurement equipment did you use and how long did it take?
What a strong answer surfacesA systematic approach (hypothesis, measurement, elimination) rather than trial and error. Mention of concrete measurement equipment (oscilloscope, current clamp, power analyzer, thermography). A realistic time of hours to days. Anyone who finds everything in 30 minutes has probably simplified the fault; anyone who searches for weeks without a hypothesis space has no structure.
BehavioralDiagnosis and commissioning Describe a design decision you would make differently in hindsight. What was the context, what did you choose and what did you learn from it?
What a strong answer surfacesThe maturity to name one's own decision as suboptimal without external blame. A concrete learning that fed into later projects (a higher safety factor, a different protection class, reserve provided in the control cabinet). Candidates who cannot name a weak point often show a lack of self-reflection or too little responsibility in the past.
SituationalDiagnosis and commissioning A customer reports that a VFD-controlled drive sporadically faults under full load. You have phone contact with the on-site electrician but no direct access. How do you structure the first 60 minutes?
What a strong answer surfacesStructured remote diagnosis: first clarify the symptom (which error code, exactly when, reproducible), then the hypothesis space (mains quality, load, parameterization, cooling), then targeted measurement tasks. Bad answer: have components swapped immediately. Good answer: read the error code from the VFD, log the load and voltage profile, only then draw a conclusion.
SituationalStandards knowledge VDE and IEC You are to deliver a machine to the Asian market. The control-cabinet layout has so far been based on DIN VDE and IEC. Which adaptations do you check?
What a strong answer surfacesAwareness of regionally different standards (UL 508A for North America, CCC for China, KC mark for Korea) and grid forms (TN-S vs. TT vs. IT, 110 V vs. 230 V, 50 vs. 60 Hz). Concrete consequences: different protection concepts, different component approvals, different labeling. Candidates who name only CE conformity overlook the market reality.
SituationalStandards knowledge VDE and IEC A project is two weeks before commissioning. During the factory test it turns out that the planned fuse in the main control cabinet cannot maintain selectivity with the upstream low-voltage main distribution board (NSHV). What do you do in the next 48 hours?
What a strong answer surfacesPrioritization: first assess the risk and scope (personal safety, property protection, deadline), then run the options (swap the selective fuse, choose a new grading, use a circuit breaker with electronic tripping), then align with the customer and site management. Anyone who takes the deadline as fixed and compromises safety is a red flag.
TechnicalSizing LV and MV Explain selectivity between two protective devices in a low-voltage distribution board. What must be met, and which two methods do you know to verify it?
What a strong answer surfacesA clear definition: in a fault, only the nearest protective device trips. Methods: time grading (delay) and current-dependent grading (tripping characteristic). Knowledge of the manufacturers' selectivity tables (Siemens, Eaton, ABB, Schneider) and the limit at very high short-circuit currents. Bonus: mention of DIN VDE 0100-530 and cascading as a deliberate alternative.
TechnicalSizing LV and MV You are to control a three-phase motor with 30 kW rated power via a frequency converter. Which components do you size between the grid and the motor, and which protection concepts do you take into account?
What a strong answer surfacesA complete chain: line reactor or line filter, upstream fuse, main contactor, VFD with a matching power class, possibly a motor reactor or dU/dt filter, a shielded motor cable, EMC-compliant earthing. Protection concepts: personal protection via an all-current-sensitive RCD type B, motor protection via VFD parameters plus a thermistor, short-circuit protection under IEC 60947-4-1. Candidates who wire straight from the fuse to the motor forget the EMC and VFD specifics.
TechnicalCircuit diagram design Which EPLAN or See Electrical functions do you use for the efficient creation of a multi-page circuit diagram, and how do you structure a project so that another electrical engineer can take it over?
What a strong answer surfacesConcrete functions: macros and circuit-diagram templates, cross-references and contact mirrors, automatically generated terminal plans and parts lists, revision management. Structuring: consistent page numbering, terminal strips and equipment designations under DIN EN 81346, documentation of the function groups. Candidates who use EPLAN only as a drawing tool have never deployed it for handover and maintainability.
CaseSizing LV and MV We are delivering a sorting plant with twelve drives, six sensor groups and a superordinate SCADA connection. Sketch on the board the rough current-flow concept from the grid connection to the drives, and say which decisions you have to make early.
What a strong answer surfacesA structured approach: power balance, choice of grid connection, main distribution with a selectivity concept, sub-distributions per function group, VFD concept (centralized vs. decentralized), bus topology for SCADA (Profinet, EtherCAT), safety circuits separated from the control. Early decisions: protection class of the control cabinets, cabling concept, redundancy in the safety circuit. Anyone who starts without a power balance loses control of the sizing.
CaseCircuit diagram design You receive a specification sheet from the mechanical department for a new machine. The control-cabinet sizing must be ready in 5 working days. How do you plan these 5 days, and which assumptions would you clarify early with mechanical?
What a strong answer surfacesDay 1: read the spec sheet, power balance, list all drives and sensors. Day 2: size the main components and the protection concept. Day 3: the EPLAN skeleton. Day 4: detail the terminals, labeling, parts list. Day 5: review and correction. Clarification points with mechanical: protection class, installation location (heat, contamination), cabling routes, reserve in the control-cabinet size. Anyone who proceeds linearly without early clarification runs into loops on day 4.
CaseAutomation and SCADA An existing customer wants to convert an existing plant from a PLC with a classic HMI to a modern SCADA connection, without production downtime exceeding 48 hours. How do you structure the project?
What a strong answer surfacesA phase model: an inventory of the existing control, parallel preparation of the SCADA environment, a test in a sandbox, defining the switchover window, a fallback plan. A concrete understanding of communication protocols (OPC UA, Modbus TCP, Profinet) and the risks of switching over. Candidates who work without a fallback plan have rarely integrated under real downtime pressure.
ValuesQualified electrician and safety responsibility How do you keep your knowledge of standards, new components and methods up to date? Name concrete sources and routines.
What a strong answer surfacesConcrete sources: VDE publications, etz Elektrotechnik and Automation, manufacturer newsletters (Siemens, Phoenix Contact, Eaton, ABB), regular courses (VDE-Akademie, TÜV). An established routine rather than lip service. Anyone who says on the internet is usually not systematic; anyone who names 2 to 3 concrete sources with a frequency lives continuing education.
ValuesQualified electrician and safety responsibility Describe a situation where you said no to a requirement you considered technically or normatively indefensible. What was the pressure, and how did you hold the line?
What a strong answer surfacesFirmness as a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft). An Electrical Engineer must be able to say no when sales or management want to put deadlines or costs above safety. A concrete example with a clear standards or safety reference, a calm rationale, no escalation out of stubbornness. Candidates who have never said no are either conflict-averse or had too little responsibility.
ValuesQualified electrician and safety responsibility In your view, what distinguishes a good from a very good Electrical Engineer after 5 years of professional experience?
What a strong answer surfacesA mature answer rather than a cliché. Good indicators: forward-looking design (reserve, maintainability, expandability), clean documentation, standards-confident work without looking things up, communication with mechanical and commissioning engineers as equals. A weak answer: fast, creative, team-minded. A very good answer: names maintainability or a standards-confident routine explicitly as the differentiator.
How to recognize a great hire
| Trait | Below bar | On bar | Above bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit diagram design (EPLAN or See Electrical) | Can read existing circuit diagrams and modify them to a limited extent, but cannot build a new circuit diagram independently. EPLAN skills are limited to placing symbols. Terminal plans and parts lists are maintained manually. | Designs multi-page circuit diagrams with consistent equipment designation under DIN EN 81346 and automatic terminal and parts-list generation. Uses macros and templates, can structure a project for handover. | Builds circuit-diagram libraries and project standards for a team. Reduces the cycle time per standard machine by 30 to 50 percent through templates and macros. Trains junior colleagues on the tool and on standards-confident structure. |
| Sizing LV and MV | Relies on rules of thumb or ready-made tables for sizing, without being able to perform the underlying calculation (short-circuit current, voltage drop, selectivity) themselves. Overlooks special cases such as VFD loads or long cables. | Sizes low-voltage distributions fully independently: cross-section, protection, selectivity, voltage drop, short-circuit withstand. Takes VFD-specific requirements into account (line reactor, RCD type B, EMC). | Additionally commands medium-voltage sizing up to 24 kV or specialized applications (functional safety IEC 61508 up to SIL 2 or 3, explosion protection under ATEX, railway applications). Questions the sizing assumptions of upstream planning. |
| Standards knowledge VDE and IEC | Knows individual standards by name but can rarely name concrete obligations or limit values from memory. Looks things up on the internet rather than in the standards collection. Relies on inspectors for compliance. | Works routinely with DIN VDE 0100, IEC 61439 for switchgear assemblies, DIN EN 60204-1 for machine safety, DIN EN ISO 13849 for safety functions. Knows the main obligations and limit values and can name the source for deviations. | Has additional special standards actively in use (IEC 61508 functional safety, IEC 60079 explosion protection, EN 50121 EMC in the railway sector, UL 508A for North America). Represents the company in a standards committee or in the VDE district association. |
| Automation and SCADA | Sees automation as the black box of the PLC programmers. Can read bus topologies but not design them. The SCADA connection is fully delegated. | Designs bus topologies (Profinet, EtherCAT, Modbus TCP) themselves, plans SCADA interfaces, defines the communication matrix with the PLC programmers. Knows the typical protocol limits and latency requirements. | Actively integrates SCADA, MES and OPC UA into the plant planning. Can assess edge-computing concepts (e.g. Siemens Industrial Edge, Phoenix PLCnext) and build them into the architecture. The interface to IT works without friction. |
| Qualified electrician and safety responsibility | Holds the qualification of a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) formally but shows uncertainty in taking responsibility in practice. Lets deadline or cost pressure push them into compromises on safety. DGUV V3 inspections are delegated without an understanding of the obligations. | Takes responsible ownership of the role of the responsible qualified electrician in their own project. Plans DGUV V3 inspection intervals, documents switching authorizations, holds briefings. Says no to normatively indefensible requirements. | Establishes safety standards for the entire engineering team, trains colleagues, coordinates with the safety specialist and the company doctor. Can hold safety discussions with management and customers in a standards-confident and unflustered way. |
30 / 60 / 90 day success plan
By day 30
- Full onboarding into the engineering tools (EPLAN or See Electrical, the PLC environment, document management) and into the company's project standards
- Accompanying 2 to 3 running projects as a co-engineer to take over the internal design logic and component libraries
- First complete existing project read and 3 to 5 improvement proposals on standardization brought into a review round
- Clarification of the handover of responsibility as a qualified electrician with the supervisor and the safety specialist
By day 60
- First own control-cabinet layout for a standard project carried out in full: circuit diagram, sizing, parts list, terminal plan, test protocol
- A concrete improvement to a standard macro library or a design template brought in and aligned with the team
- First on-site commissioning accompanied or led, including DGUV V3-relevant steps
- Interface to mechanical and automation established: a regular alignment routine, clarified boundaries of responsibility
By day 90
- At least one project led from specification sheet to commissioning as the responsible Electrical Engineer
- Written review with the supervisor to assess the first 90 days, identifying the next specialization or training
- Clear positioning on the team: which project types, which technological focus areas, which normative specialist areas
- Contribution to an overarching improvement: a component library, a template, a test procedure, onboarding for the next hire
Common hiring mistakes for this role
Hiring an Electrical Engineer with 3 to 8 years of experience rarely fails on the CV and often on a wrong reading of the concrete design practice. The following mistakes appear regularly at German SMBs.
Hiring on EPLAN command instead of design substance
The most common trap: a candidate shows 7 years of EPLAN Electric P8 and a clean circuit-diagram showreel, and the analysis stops there. Without an understanding of selectivity calculation, cable cross-section sizing under DIN VDE 0100, the loss and heat balance in the control cabinet and harmonic loading, command of the CAE tool says little. Always probe deeper with: tell me about the most difficult sizing decision of the last 12 months, including the selectivity and short-circuit calculation. Anyone who evades has a draftsperson profile, not a design profile.
Confusing Electrical Engineer and electrical designer
In the German-speaking world the terms Elektroingenieur:in (a degree at a university or applied-sciences university, design and calculation responsibility) and Elektrokonstrukteur:in (often a technician background, focused on circuit-diagram detail work and parts-list creation) overlap. The confusion leads to two classic outcomes: either you pay 70 k€ for a profile that in practice does 80 percent pure EPLAN detail work, or you pay 50 k€ for a profile from which you expect a selectivity analysis and a conformity assessment under the Machinery Directive, without the substance being there. Clarify the scope explicitly in the job posting.
Underestimating the qualified-electrician qualification and DGUV V3
An Electrical Engineer who plans, tests or commissions electrical installations must be qualified as a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) under DGUV Regulation 3 and appointed in writing by the employer. At an SMB it often happens that this point only surfaces at the first audit or the first commissioning. In the interview, ask concretely: are you appointed in writing as a qualified electrician? Which recurring DGUV V3 inspections do you own? Anyone who evades can be technically strong but is not directly deployable for commissioning or for the responsibility as a plant operator under DIN VDE 0105-100.
Overlooking collective-agreement binding and IG Metall expectations
At tariff-bound companies (the metal and electrical industry, frequently in southern Germany) an Electrical Engineer with 3 to 8 years of experience expects classification under ERA (often EG 10 to EG 12) plus special payments and a 35-hour week. If you bring a profile from a tariff-bound company into a non-tariff-bound SMB, you have to calculate the total package cleanly (fixed salary, special payments, working time, vacation, pension). A simple 6 percent increase in fixed salary is rarely enough to compensate for the tariff package.
Frequently asked questions
What does an Electrical Engineer earn at an SMB in Germany?
The reference range for an Electrical Engineer with 3 to 8 years of experience is 54 to 88 k€ fixed salary per year, with a median around 67 k€. Tariff-bound companies in the metal and electrical industry (IG Metall ERA, pay grades EG 13-15) pay at the top of the range and add special payments such as holiday and Christmas bonuses. Non-tariff-bound SMBs are typically 5 to 10 percent below the median but often compensate with flexibility, responsibility or bonus models.
What qualification must a qualified electrician hold under DGUV V3?
DGUV Regulation 3 requires that work on electrical installations is carried out exclusively by a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) or under their supervision. A qualified electrician is someone who, by virtue of professional training, knowledge and experience and knowledge of the relevant regulations, can assess the assigned work and recognize possible hazards. A completed degree in electrical engineering meets this prerequisite in combination with project-related professional experience. Proof is provided by certificates plus a written appointment by the employer.
How long does it take to hire an Electrical Engineer in Germany?
Expect 55 to 85 days between publishing the job posting and the signed contract. The bottleneck is the availability of qualified profiles, especially with a specialization in functional safety (IEC 61508), medium voltage or railway applications. The timeline lengthens with multi-stage selection including a case study and at year-end. Cutting below 55 days usually sacrifices the case study or the reference check and raises the risk of a mis-hire.
EPLAN or See Electrical: which tool should we require?
EPLAN Electric P8 is the market leader in German-speaking machinery and plant engineering and the standard at most SMBs. See Electrical Expert is more widespread in the Mittelstand and at energy utilities, often also in French-German constellations. If you use EPLAN internally, require it in the mandatory profile; for See Electrical a willingness to retrain is often enough, since the logic is transferable. Tool skills can be trained in six months; standards-confident design logic is years of experience. Weight that accordingly.
What legal requirements apply to job postings for Electrical Engineers in Germany?
Three central requirements: (1) a gender-neutral job title with (m/w/d) or colon spelling (§ 11 AGG), (2) the obligation of pay transparency in the ad or at the latest before the first interview (EU Pay Transparency Directive 2023/970, implementation by 7 June 2026), (3) for the use of AI tools for pre-selection, transparency and guaranteed human oversight (EU AI Act, from 2 August 2026). Specifically relevant for this position: proof as a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) under DGUV V3 may be required, as it is a professional eligibility prerequisite.
Should the Electrical Engineer work on-site, hybrid or remote?
Pure remote work is possible for pure design tasks (circuit diagram design, sizing, documentation) but is often a hindrance for commissioning and for the interface to mechanical design. At a German SMB, hybrid with 2 to 3 days of presence per week is the usual configuration, complemented by project-dependent travel days to customers or suppliers. Full presence makes sense when the workshop and test field are directly on site and the team works with prototypes early in the design.