Employer of Record · Germany · Industry
Automotive and mobility suppliers expanding into Germany need key-account managers, field service engineers, resident application engineers, technical project managers, quality specialists and customer support close to OEM and Tier-1 plants. You decide the roles, cities, candidates and reporting lines; PIO checks whether an employment arrangement is available for that exact combination, then coordinates the resulting employment contract, payroll, statutory withholding, applicable social insurance, leave and offboarding — so your team stays focused on launches, quality and your customer relationships.
Explore role-specific planning points for a Automotive, EV & Connected-Vehicle Hiring in Germany team in Germany.
Here's what typically matters most when hiring in Automotive, EV & Connected-Vehicle Hiring in Germany in Germany.
Decide which roles you need — key-account managers, field service engineers, resident application engineers, technical project managers, quality specialists or customer support — and which German city or region keeps them close to the OEM or Tier-1 plants they serve.
Clarify who gives day-to-day work instructions on-site. If a worker sits inside your host customer's organization and takes direct instructions from that host customer, the arrangement may fall under German temporary-agency (AÜG) rules, and PIO confirms the exact setup before work starts.
Set the launch and validation calendar, shift patterns, regional travel expectations and on-call coverage, and how each translates into pay components so they can run correctly through payroll once confirmed.
Homologation, functional safety, quality approvals and signing authority stay with your engineering or quality organization, while plant and site safety follow your host customer's site rules, agreed with you in advance. Once the exact employment setup is confirmed, PIO coordinates the contract and payroll arrangement around it.
When you hire for your Automotive, EV & Connected-Vehicle Hiring in Germany team in Germany through PIO, the responsibilities split clearly.
Tell us the selected candidate(s), the role and city, target compensation, the workplace pattern, and who owns day-to-day reporting and instruction. PIO confirms the exact arrangement available for that setup, then coordinates the contract, payroll, statutory withholding, applicable social insurance, leave and offboarding. A local hire who is already authorized to work in Germany follows a different route from relocation or an assignment/posting, so the work route needs its own confirmation. Where a role means deep integration at your host customer's site with direct day-to-day instructions from that host customer, this can fall under German temporary-agency (AÜG) rules and needs case-specific confirmation before start. Site access and workplace safety are agreed between your company and your host customer; engineering and product decisions, homologation and quality approvals, signing authority and business outcomes stay with your company. PIO doesn't recruit candidates or give legal or tax advice.
A practical starting point for the rules that shape a Germany hire. It is not legal advice, and your exact terms will depend on the role, sector and agreement.
Pay, hours and leave
Germany's general minimum wage is €13.90 gross per hour from 1 January 2026, rising to €14.60 from 1 January 2027; sector-specific rates can be higher. A working day is generally capped at 8 hours, extendable to 10 only under statutory averaging rules, and minimum leave is equivalent to 20 days for a regular five-day week.
Written terms and payroll
The essential terms of employment are documented and provided to the employee, and the exact salary due date is set in those terms for each hire rather than assumed. It is not the same single date across every role.
Notice and termination
The statutory baseline is four weeks' notice to the 15th or the end of a calendar month, and employer notice periods lengthen as service grows. An agreed probationary period of up to six months may carry a two-week notice, and termination must be in writing.
Work setup and authorization
Every hire starts by confirming the workplace, who directs the day-to-day work, the expected duration and the person's current German work authorization. A local EOR arrangement differs from relocating someone or extending a temporary assignment from China.
These are general reference points as of 2026 and can vary by sector, agreement and individual circumstances. Confirm the specifics for your hire before relying on them.
This practical guidance draws on the official sources below. Public requirements can change, so the details should be reconfirmed for each hire.
Here's what happens after you tell us who you want to hire.
Tell us the role, workplace, reporting line and target start date so we can confirm availability for this specific hire.
Once availability is confirmed, PIO coordinates the agreed employment terms, payroll setup and statutory registrations for the hire.
You direct the day-to-day work and outcomes; PIO coordinates ongoing payroll, statutory deductions, social-insurance administration, leave and offboarding.
It depends on the site access, reporting line and day-to-day instruction pattern you and your host customer agree for that location. If the host customer directs the person's daily work closely, on-site integration can trigger German temporary-agency treatment, so PIO confirms the exact pattern before work starts. Site safety and technical direction on-site follow the host customer's rules, agreed with you in advance.
Share the roles, German cities or sites, the selected candidates, their current work authorization or the proposed relocation/assignment/posting route, the workplace pattern, reporting and day-to-day instructions, compensation, and the intended start date. From that, PIO confirms the arrangement actually available and lays out the next employment and payroll steps.
Share the details of your next Automotive, EV & Connected-Vehicle Hiring in Germany hire and we'll confirm availability, then coordinate the agreed employment and payroll administration around it.
