Capacity in Machinery & Plant Engineering — Exactly When You Need It

Typically, a selection of two to four profiles is available within 24 to 36 hours. Three details in the briefing are crucial: the type of production—mass production, custom machinery, or large-scale facilities—the location, including willingness to travel, and whether the person is expected to make decisions on-site. From our network of over 23,000 vetted experts, positions in design, automation, and project management can usually be filled on short notice.

Yes. CATIA, SolidWorks, and NX are the most common platforms; we filter based on completed projects in that specific system, not on training certificates. Another key factor is whether someone can continue working on existing assemblies rather than designing new ones—this is the more common task and requires a different approach. During the interview, we ask about the assembly that posed the greatest challenge.

The median rate across all assignments is €1,050 per day. The rate depends on the role and level of responsibility: a temporary plant manager earns more than a design engineer, while a technical project manager falls somewhere in between. Costs are typically 30 to 60% of those of traditional management consultancies. The range for each specific role is clearly listed on the respective role page before an interview takes place.

Yes, and the type of manufacturing is specified in the briefing because it determines day-to-day operations. In mass production, cycle time, setup time, and process capability are key; in custom machine building, coordination with the customer, change orders, and documentation are key; and in large-scale plant construction, coordination among trades and on-site acceptance are added to the mix. Anyone who is only familiar with mass production underestimates the coordination effort required in project-based business.

The interim manager assumes a temporary line management role—in a plant, production, or maintenance—with the authority to issue instructions and responsibility for delivery dates and capacity utilization. The freelance management consultant prepares decisions regarding plant integration, vertical integration, make-or-buy, and portfolio streamlining. The technical expert provides expertise in design, automation, commissioning, or test planning.

Yes. Commissioning, relocations, and service calls often take place outside of Germany, frequently in Central and Eastern Europe or in Asia. We’ll discuss your willingness to travel, language skills, duration, and the schedule for alternating between the construction site and your home base during the briefing before making a recommendation. For longer assignments abroad, we’ll also review the details of your assignment and insurance coverage together with your HR department.

Typically, with a notice period of 5 to 10 days. That’s why temporary staffing works during periods of fluctuating workload: there are no fixed costs as long as it’s unclear whether the next major order will come in. Extensions are the norm, and many assignments end with an orderly handover to a newly staffed position.

This is the most common question we receive in manufacturing environments because we work closely with internal teams. Before we begin, we clarify the contract terms, reporting structures, equipment, and documentation together with your legal or procurement department and tailor our services accordingly. This does not replace legal advice: The assessment of individual cases remains the responsibility of your legal team.

The most in-demand roles are design engineers and CAD specialists, technical project managers for plant projects, interim plant and maintenance managers, as well as automation technicians and PLC programmers for commissioning. In addition, process engineers and lean managers are needed when scrap rates and setup times do not decrease. We’ll determine which role best fits the task during the briefing.

Responsibility remains with the manufacturer; staffing for the preparatory work is outsourced: risk assessment, technical documentation, compilation of supporting documentation, and coordination with the notified body, where necessary. With the new Machinery Regulation, certain requirements have shifted, particularly regarding software and networked systems. Compliance is assessed based on completed conformity assessment procedures, not on seminar attendance.

Temporary employment is worthwhile when the task is time-limited or the need fluctuates: a design peak, a plant project, a vacancy in plant management, or a relocation. A permanent position is worthwhile when the role is long-term and you want to retain the person in-house. After four years of declining production, many companies are consciously opting for temporary contracts until capacity utilization recovers.

Yes, both are among the roles most frequently requested—and it is precisely in these areas that the second-line staffing has been reduced in recent years. Temporary maintenance management ensures availability and the spare parts strategy, while production planning reorganizes production cycles, setup sequences, and material provision when a new variant is added. Both roles have a rapid impact because they build on existing processes rather than new concepts.