Find proven specialists with a REFA-Grundschein (REFA Basic Certificate) in Germany, matched in minutes from 15,000 CVs with the power of AI
Identify freelancers who can analyse work processes, carry out time and method studies, and support shopfloor improvement with REFA methods. Get fast, precise matching with vetted freelancers holding the REFA-Grundschein.
About the certification
What it is
The REFA-Grundschein, also known as the REFA Basic Certificate or simply REFA Grundschein, is an entry-level qualification in work study and industrial engineering. It shows that a person understands how work is analysed, described, measured and improved in a structured way.
What it validates
- Basic REFA methods for observing and describing work
- Time study and method study fundamentals
- Process and workplace analysis
- Understanding of performance, effort and standardised work design
- Practical support for planning, improvement and costing tasks
For companies, the certificate signals a freelancer who can work with facts, not assumptions. In Germany, that is useful in production, logistics, operations and process improvement projects where clear methods and clean documentation matter.
Typical holders
The REFA-Grundschein is often held by industrial engineers, process planners, production staff, supervisors and consultants who work close to the shop floor. It is also a good fit for freelancers supporting lean improvement, capacity planning, layout changes or standard work projects.
Freelancers with this background usually know how to translate daily work into usable data. They can talk to operators, document the current state and help teams compare different ways of doing the same task.
Core knowledge
- Work analysis and work structuring
- Time recording and evaluation
- Method comparison and process improvement
- Basic ergonomics and workplace design
- Standard time thinking for planning and controlling operations
The certificate is rooted in REFA methods, so it is especially relevant where companies want disciplined improvement instead of ad hoc changes. It can support projects in manufacturing, technical services and logistics, including sites in Germany that work with German-speaking teams and local shopfloor routines.
What it means for hiring
A freelancer with the REFA-Grundschein is usually prepared for hands-on analysis work. That can include observing tasks, documenting sequence steps, supporting time studies, creating clearer standard processes and helping line managers see where effort is lost.
For employers, this lowers the risk of bringing in someone who knows the theory but not the day-to-day reality of operational work. It is a practical signal for projects that need careful measurement, clear language and acceptance from production teams.
Where it fits
The REFA-Grundschein is not a senior strategy certificate. It is a foundation for applied work study. That makes it useful when a project needs structured analysis at the operational level, especially before larger redesign, automation or capacity decisions.
It is most relevant in settings such as:
- Manufacturing and assembly
- Logistics and material flow
- Industrial planning and operations support
- Shopfloor improvement and standardisation
- Cross-functional process reviews with German-speaking stakeholders
Meet FRATCH REFA-Grundschein (REFA Basic Certificate)
Andreas Kälber
Project Manager
Last position:
Project Manager at Winkelmann Building+Industry / Reflex Winkelmann
As part of a greenfield project, a new production plant is being built in Slovakia to produce industrial media storage for OEMs and distributors once completed.
Procurement and industrialization of production equipment for prefabrication.
Design, procurement, installation and integration of complete production lines based on stamping, forming and welding technology with integrated, labor-reducing processes.
Establishment of a production environment under strategic aspects according to the latest state of the art.
Overall and continuous communication with the entire greenfield team, adjacent departments and plant and executive management.
Development of concepts together with key suppliers and identification of ratio potentials along manufacturing process chains using value stream analyses.
Collection, assessment and application of process data such as throughput times, manufacturing times, setup times, wait and idle times using time and multimoment studies as well as surveys.
Forward-looking design of production systems and processes with the goal of implementing automated and competitive process solutions as part of comprehensive supply chain management.
Planning of production workflows, definition of manufacturing methods, design of the overall layout and workstations.
Determination and recording of process cost rates, overhead rates, cost evaluation of production processes, machine hourly rates, depreciation as well as expected share of claims and rework costs to optimize manufacturing costs.
Continuous optimizations of product designs for their adaptation into automation-oriented production environments until the plant's SOP.
Multi-project management for the engineering, design, procurement, installation and process integration of all relevant trades with respect to plant engineering, lifting equipment, production equipment and QA installations.
Ongoing establishment of an overall concept in constructive, plant engineering, logistical, IT and QA aspects.
Karlheinz Götz
Senior Test Engineer / Analyst
Last position:
Consultant / Test Analyst / Supporter at Insurance office, Spaichingen
Project: Process optimization & IT support in an insurance broker office.
Project activities:
- Analysis of processes and definition of requirements
- Consulting on the implementation of a cloud solution (soho)
- Installation and verification of new infrastructure HW
- Cloud installation & configuration
- Definition and creation of use cases
- Execution of user acceptance tests (UAT)
- User training / training
- IT support (cloud, PC, server, printer, network)
Label: insurance, infrastructure, configuration, training, support
Cavit Sarioglu
Renovation of own properties
Last position:
Renovation of own properties at Private building project
- Independent planning and execution of renovation projects on several residential properties, including coordination of trades, budget and schedule control, site supervision, material procurement and quality control
- Experience in interior finishing, building services, exterior areas, as well as compliance with construction and energy efficiency standards
Michael Schiffer
Principal Consultant / Managing Director
Last position:
Principal Consultant / Managing Director at The Implementers GmbH
Consulting and interim management in the automotive industry, healthcare and other sectors focusing on program management, production launches, plant management, supplier development, cost reduction, process optimization, AI implementation and AI-driven process automation.
Key projects:
Concept for performance documentation of a pain therapy department with interdisciplinary input and reconciliation with OPS catalogue (Feb 2026).
Complete billing system for a medical practice with multi-tenant support, state machine workflow, ZUGFeRD/EN16931-compliant invoice generation, OpenEMR integration; implemented with ~4 200 LOC Python, ~1 700 LOC SQL, 30+ endpoints, 13 DB migrations (Dec 2025 — Feb 2026).
Clinical decision support system for inpatient pain therapy including automated processing of pain questionnaires, AI-generated therapy recommendations and longitudinal analysis; stack: FastAPI, Ollama, PyMuPDF, React + TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Docker (Sep 2025 — Mar 2026).
End-to-end AI-powered transcription and documentation pipeline from physician-patient conversations with WhisperX transcription, five-stage LLM pipeline, review UI and self-hosted infrastructure; stack: FastAPI, WhisperX, Ollama, React + TypeScript, Docker (Aug 2025 — Feb 2026).
AI-powered pipeline for document recognition and automated bank reconciliation processing >3 000 transactions and >4 000 documents with multi-model OCR, LLM-based document separation, web UI and loop-based prompt versioning; infrastructure: Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, Ollama LLM server (Aug 2025 — present).
Supplier development for suspension parts including changes, new launches, relocations and bottleneck management for KTM (May 2023 — Nov 2024).
Leading transfer of 150 serial production items after supplier plant closure for KTM (Jul 2022 — Jan 2024).
Lean and process consultation for Swiss manufacturer of electro components at Von Roll Schweiz AG (Jun 2018 — Nov 2018).
Ongoing back office support and process improvement for a private pain therapy & TCM practice including anesthesia protocols, website setup, digitalization and process optimization (May 2018 — May 2025).
Acting plant manager for interior trim components in Hungary focusing on stabilization, tooling optimization, headcount reduction and backlog reduction at MAO Automotive GmbH & Co (Feb 2018 — Jun 2018).
Start-up consulting and coaching for private pain therapy & TCM practice covering concept, business plan, financing, construction, setup and SOP implementation (May 2017 — Apr 2018).
Program manager for critical suppliers DAG BR238 door trim leading supplier qualification, sampling, PPAP/EMPB tracking and process approvals at Megatech Industries Deutschland GmbH (Jul 2016 — Oct 2017).
Interim COO and acting plant manager in aluminum profile processing automotive supplier with 350 employees and €80 M revenue, leading expansion in Slovakia at PWG Profilrollen-Werkzeugbau GmbH (Sep 2015 — May 2016).
Leading labor and material efficiency program for headliner production focusing on process, material, labor and supplier cost reduction at Motus Headliner GmbH (Jan 2015 — Aug 2015).
Leading development program for interior door trim DAG C292 including launch phase onsite in MS & AL at Toyota Boshoku America (Sep 2012 — Jan 2015).
Leading cost down team for DAG C218 door panels at Toyota Boshoku Europe NV (Mar 2012 — Aug 2012).
Sun visor development consulting for project team in Turkey including optimization, market analysis and design reviews at MARTUR FOMPAK (Jan 2012 — Dec 2014).
Leading transfer of injection molding tools to new suppliers including sampling, assembly trials and PPAP/EMPB coordination at Toyota Boshoku Europe NV (Jan 2012 — Aug 2012).
Program manager for BMW sun visors L7 Platform with production transfer and new development of F30 sun visor at Magna (Jul 2010 — Dec 2011).
Wolfgang Vosseler
Self-Employment
Last position:
Self-Employed Activity at Reflexa-Albrecht Werke GmbH
Responsibility for building services engineering at the Rettenbach and Oederan production sites
Managing the owner family's properties and residential real estate, including service charge settlements, maintenance, renovations and tenant changes
Overhauling the existing folder structure in facility management
Tracking recurring inspections and maintenance
Commissioning and managing suppliers and service providers
Warranty tracking in new construction
Sustainable management of the cleaning service provider
Long-term property and budget planning
Completion and finalization of the energy audit
Organization of the relocation of a production line from Günzburg to Rettenbach
Expansion and extension of existing PV systems to cover the plant's own electricity needs at the Rettenbach site
Ismail Özmen
Interim Manager; Systemic Business Coach; Freelance CNC-CAM Programmer and Product Designer; Founder and
Last position:
Interim Manager; Systemic Business Coach; Freelance CNC-CAM Programmer and Product Designer; Founder and at Self-employed
- Process optimization
- Productivity increase in production
- Lean management
- Shopfloor management
- Production management
- Production control and planning
- Outsourcing
- Leadership training
- Private coaching
- Career coaching
- Self-management training
- Heidenhain, Siemens, Millplus
- CAD design with Fusion 360, SolidWorks
- FDM
- SLA
- Product design
- Prototyping
- Series production
Eiko Sommer
Parental Leave Project
Last position:
Parental Leave Project
- Self-directed learning of WordPress
- Sketching goals and creating the first draft using the Design Thinking method
- Setting up and launching the MVP [link]
Jens Jülke
Project Manager - Design
Last position:
Development Engineer – Design/Project Management/Purchasing at P-Wave AG
- Conception, development, and design of explosion generators: concept, draft, calculations, design of generators, procurement of parts, assembly of developed units, as well as tests and trials for functionality, safety, and optimization, further development up to series production
- Installation and commissioning of P-Wave PWG-S types 100 to 103 and subsequent types at customer sites
- Training of customer employees in handling the generators
- Maintenance of P-Wave PWG-S generators 100 to 103 and subsequent types
- Creation of PID and KKS numbering lists
- Project execution of orders in German-speaking regions
- Purchasing all parts and assemblies needed for project execution, and coordinating the assembly of the PWG-S system by partner companies
- Responsible for cost optimization of purchased parts
- Production planner
- Responsible for PDM data and optimization of data management, transition from manual to automatic data management
Christian Mägerlein
Owner
Last position:
Project manager at SIS-Team Project GmbH
CHP cooperative value chain West Saxony Building new connections between OEM, TIER1, TIER2 and suppliers for smaller batches
Ahmet Baran
Independent Entrepreneur
Last position:
Independent Entrepreneur at AVS Inh. A. Baran
- Technical drawings, mechanical design, product development, and assembly support for international customers
- Company management and organization, financial administration, and business plan development
- Sales and trade show support, project management, and employee recruitment and support
- Development of automation solutions for recycling plants and international project management
Heinrich Scharp
Lecturer
Last position:
Lecturer at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences
- Startup planning (until Summer term 2020)
- Holistic value creation systems (business ethics)
- CSR (since winter term 2019/20)
- Leadership and organization
- Strategic and operational planning (until Summer term 2015)
- Strategic sales management
Dennis Wolf
Factory Planner and Overall Project Manager: New Factory Planning
Last position:
Factory Planner and Overall Project Manager: New Factory Planning at EPRO Emerson
- Conduct inventory: Detailed recording of all existing machines, equipment, layouts, utilities, and processes
- Technical analysis: Assessment of the performance, efficiency, and utilization of machines and their interfaces
- Process recording and mapping: Documentation of material flow, lead times, bottlenecks, and waste
- Layout optimization: Analysis of the existing arrangement, simulation of material and personnel flows, and development of an improved factory layout
- Economic evaluation: Cost-benefit analyses for replacement, modernization, or modification of equipment
- Stakeholder management: Involvement of production, maintenance, logistics, safety, and management
- Create roadmap: Planning of implementation phases, milestones, investments, and downtime
- Prepare change management: Employee training, communication plan, and support of cultural change toward modern processes
- Conversion plan and tracking
Tomas Schönhofer
Teamlead Validation & Prototyping
Last position:
Teamlead Validation & Prototyping at Wabtec Corporation / ANNAX GmbH
- Technical leadership of the Validation and Prototyping departments
- Designing, planning and coordinating electrical and mechanical validation according to railway standard EN50155, EMC standard EN50121 and special validations such as Accelerated Life Testing
- Designing, planning and coordinating validations for ANNAX China
- Requirements engineering for test execution
- Improving new projects through error analysis, documentation and contributing to the continuous improvement process
- FMEA co-moderator in the design phase
Clemens Kuhn
Manufacturing Engineer
Last position:
Manufacturing Engineer at Premium AEROTEC GmbH
- Planning, coordination and implementation of production relocations (TOW) for composite parts inside and outside PAG
- Definition, design and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes in coordination with engineering, program management and customers (internal/external)
- Interface coordinator for internal and external suppliers
Ralf Leuthäuser
Spare Parts Cost Estimator / Mechanical Engineering
Last position:
Spare Parts Estimator / Mechanical Engineering at GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG
- Creation of work plans in SAP
- Cost calculation in SAP
- Optimization of production processes to reduce costs
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
REFA-Grundschein (REFA Basic Certificate) statistics
Typical experience
33 years
Average project duration
3.3 years
Certifications per freelancer
11
Top business areas
Operations, Project Management, Product Development
Top industries
Manufacturing, Automotive, Professional Services
Most common languages
German, English, Turkish
Bachelor's degree or higher
69%
Master's degree or higher
31%
Doctorate
8%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers holding this certification are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for REFA-Grundschein (REFA Basic Certificate) & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need clarity? Check out our simple overview of FRATCH
The REFA-Grundschein proves that a freelancer understands the basics of REFA work study. That includes analysing work steps, documenting processes, and using methodical approaches to improve work organisation. It is a practical signal, especially for operational projects where structure and accuracy matter.
The REFA Basic Certificate is an entry-level qualification. It covers the foundations of work analysis and process design, while more advanced REFA training goes deeper into planning, leadership, specialist methods or broader industrial engineering topics. For employers, the Grundschein is a sign of solid basics rather than full expert-level depth.
This certificate fits people who work close to operations and improvement. Typical profiles include industrial engineers, production planners, consultants, supervisors and freelancers who support time studies or shopfloor optimisation. It is especially useful for anyone who needs to speak the language of the workplace and turn observation into usable data.
Projects that involve method study, time recording, standard work, workplace design or process improvement benefit most. The certificate is also useful in manufacturing, logistics and technical operations where work needs to be analysed in a clear and accepted way. In Germany, it can be especially relevant when teams expect structured documentation and practical communication.
Many people pursue the REFA-Grundschein as a foundation certificate, so it is often suitable before deeper specialist work. Some practical familiarity with production or operations helps, because the content becomes more useful when you can relate it to real work situations. The exact entry path depends on the REFA training route chosen.
Preparation is mainly about understanding everyday work processes. It helps to be comfortable observing tasks, comparing methods, and working with clear definitions, timings and documentation. Candidates who already know a production or process environment usually find it easier to connect the course content to practice.
The REFA-Grundschein is generally treated as a foundation qualification rather than a short-lived licence. In practice, employers care more about whether the holder still applies REFA methods correctly and keeps their skills current. If someone has not used the methods for a long time, recent project experience matters more than the certificate alone.
In Germany, the REFA-Grundschein is well known in industrial and operational settings. Companies look for it because it suggests a shared method vocabulary for work study, process analysis and workplace improvement. That makes it easier to bring in a freelancer who can contribute quickly and work well with local teams.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
