Find the perfect Automation Engineers in Germany in minutes from 15,000 CVs with the power of AI
PLC control, SCADA integration, robotic cells, and industrial commissioning need people who can keep systems stable and code clean. FRATCH matches you fast with vetted, available freelancers who know the work.
About the role
What they do
Automation engineers design, build, and improve control systems that keep machines and production lines running. They turn process logic into reliable code, connect sensors and actuators, and make sure equipment behaves as the plant needs it to.
- PLC programming and control logic
- SCADA and HMI setup
- Robot and machine integration
- Commissioning and troubleshooting
- Documentation and handover support
Core skills
Strong automation work needs more than coding. A good engineer understands electrical systems, industrial safety, process flow, and how operators use the line every day. They can read schematics, debug faults under pressure, and coordinate with mechanics, electricians, and production teams.
Common tools and environments include PLC platforms, SCADA systems, industrial networks, motion control, and versioned control code. In practice, the right person is comfortable moving between office design work and plant-floor reality.
When companies hire
Companies bring in freelance automation engineers when a project needs extra capacity, specialist knowledge, or temporary cover for an internal team. That is common during plant upgrades, new line launches, retrofit work, and fault-heavy commissioning phases.
In Germany, this is often useful for manufacturers, machine builders, automotive suppliers, packaging companies, and process plants that need someone who can work with local teams, technical documentation, and on-site constraints. Remote support can help with code review and testing prep, but on-site time is often needed for commissioning and debugging.
Typical deliverables
A strong automation engineer leaves behind working systems, clear documentation, and fewer recurring faults. The exact output depends on the site, but the best freelancers can own a defined part of the control stack from design through startup.
- PLC software and control sequences
- HMI screens and alarm logic
- Test and commissioning support
- Fault analysis and root-cause fixes
- Technical handover documents
What good looks like
Good automation professionals write code that is readable, maintainable, and safe to modify later. They test carefully, document changes clearly, and flag risks early instead of hiding them until startup.
They also know how to work with production pressure. A reliable automation engineer stays calm during line stops, communicates clearly with operations, and focuses on getting the system stable without creating new problems.
How to choose
The best fit depends on your stack and your plant environment. Look for real experience with the control platform you use, the kind of machinery you run, and the phase of work you need help with.
For Germany-based projects, it also helps if the freelancer can work comfortably with local technical teams and, when needed, be present on site for testing, commissioning, or acceptance work. That mix matters more than a generic CV.
Meet FRATCH Automation Engineers
Philipp Steidler
Senior Full-Stack Engineer | Certified Data Scientist (XDI) | Digital Strategist
Last position:
Solution Architect, Software Engineer, UX/UI Designer, Full-Stack Developer, Data Engineer, IT Consultant at Geigenbau-Meisterwerkstatt
- A digital system made up of special software and hardware components. The overall system replaces the traditional process with job slips and handwritten notes and enables more efficient order intake. Orders and work steps for the violin-making company’s projects can now be recorded, processed and logged in real time directly on the workshop’s touchscreen PC, by mobile phone or on the desktop. This gives customers a more transparent view of the work on their instruments and allows them to track the status and progress of their instrument through their customer account.
Tech stack: next.js, React, Flutter, Dart, Raspberry, Linux, Directus
René Adam
QA Lead / Test Manager / Test Engineer
Last position:
Test (Automation) Engineer at BWI GmbH
Introduced a unified test strategy to establish quality gates and define test activities for the 'ICaruS' subproject of the Bundeswehr
Built and implemented manual and automated tests, set up the test infrastructure, and introduced test management tools
Established KPIs and dashboards to present and distribute test metrics to project team members and stakeholders
Technologies used: Playwright, TypeScript, REST, PEGA Systems, Jira, HP ALM, GitLab Runner, Kubernetes, Git, VS Code, Angular, Scrum
René Adam
QA Lead / Test Manager / Test Engineer
Last position:
Test (Automation) Engineer at BWI GmbH
Introduced a unified test strategy to establish quality gates and define test activities for the 'ICaruS' subproject of the Bundeswehr
Built and implemented manual and automated tests, set up the test infrastructure, and introduced test management tools
Introduced a unified test strategy to establish quality gates and define test activities for the 'ICaruS' subproject of the Bundeswehr
Built and implemented manual and automated tests, set up the test infrastructure, and introduced test management tools
Established KPIs and dashboards to present and distribute test metrics to project team members and stakeholders
Technologies used: Playwright, TypeScript, REST, PEGA Systems, Jira, HP ALM, GitLab Runner, Kubernetes, Git, VS Code, Angular, Scrum
Established KPIs and dashboards to present and distribute test metrics to project team members and stakeholders
Technologies used: Playwright, TypeScript, REST, PEGA Systems, Jira, HP ALM, GitLab Runner, Kubernetes, Git, VS Code, Angular, Scrum
Oliver Fries
Senior Analytics Software Engineer & Tech Lead
Last position:
Modernization of a multi-company backend system at Energy utility company
Enhancement and modernization of a mature Aspire backend application in the environment of a utility company, focusing on new business requirements, testing, legacy code cleanup, and stable backend delivery.
Core contributions & results Implemented new business requirements in the context of customer orders, subcontractors, and cross-company backend processes, and ensured consistent workflows in a distributed system landscape. Modernized existing backend components step by step and reduced technical debt through targeted legacy code cleanup, refactoring, and structured code reviews. Improved the testability of business-critical services by expanding automated tests with xUnit, AutoFixture, and clearer validation structures. Supported the further development of workflow automations and integration processes via microservices, messaging, and API-based communication. Took over source code from external firms, systematically checked code quality, and derived technical improvements for maintainability, stability, and integration. Worked in agile development processes with Jira, Confluence, and Azure DevOps and supported cross-team alignment on architecture, quality, and implementation. Technical metrics Technologies & methods C#, .NET, ASP.NET, ASP.NET Core, Aspire, Docker, RabbitMQ, gRPC, REST API, Swagger, Microservices, NServiceBus, AutoMapper, Autofac, xUnit, AutoFixture, FluentValidation, Entity Framework Core, MediatR, Redis, Consul, Serilog, SonarQube, Azure DevOps, Azure Monitor, GitLab, Google Protocol Buffers, IronPDF, Mailjet, Jira, Confluence, Miro, agile development, Scrum, code reviews, refactoring, legacy code cleanup, workflow automation, power grids
Oliver Fries
Senior Analytics Software Engineer & Tech Lead
Last position:
Modernization of a multi-company backend system at Energy utility company
Enhancement and modernization of a mature Aspire backend application in the environment of a utility company, focusing on new business requirements, testing, legacy code cleanup, and stable backend delivery.
Enhancement and modernization of a mature Aspire backend application in the environment of a utility company, focusing on new business requirements, testing, legacy code cleanup, and stable backend delivery.
Core contributions & results Implemented new business requirements in the context of customer orders, subcontractors, and cross-company backend processes, and ensured consistent workflows in a distributed system landscape. Modernized existing backend components step by step and reduced technical debt through targeted legacy code cleanup, refactoring, and structured code reviews. Improved the testability of business-critical services by expanding automated tests with xUnit, AutoFixture, and clearer validation structures. Supported the further development of workflow automations and integration processes via microservices, messaging, and API-based communication. Took over source code from external firms, systematically checked code quality, and derived technical improvements for maintainability, stability, and integration. Worked in agile development processes with Jira, Confluence, and Azure DevOps and supported cross-team alignment on architecture, quality, and implementation. Technical metrics Technologies & methods C#, .NET, ASP.NET, ASP.NET Core, Aspire, Docker, RabbitMQ, gRPC, REST API, Swagger, Microservices, NServiceBus, AutoMapper, Autofac, xUnit, AutoFixture, FluentValidation, Entity Framework Core, MediatR, Redis, Consul, Serilog, SonarQube, Azure DevOps, Azure Monitor, GitLab, Google Protocol Buffers, IronPDF, Mailjet, Jira, Confluence, Miro, agile development, Scrum, code reviews, refactoring, legacy code cleanup, workflow automation, power grids
Core contributions & results Implemented new business requirements in the context of customer orders, subcontractors, and cross-company backend processes, and ensured consistent workflows in a distributed system landscape. Modernized existing backend components step by step and reduced technical debt through targeted legacy code cleanup, refactoring, and structured code reviews. Improved the testability of business-critical services by expanding automated tests with xUnit, AutoFixture, and clearer validation structures. Supported the further development of workflow automations and integration processes via microservices, messaging, and API-based communication. Took over source code from external firms, systematically checked code quality, and derived technical improvements for maintainability, stability, and integration. Worked in agile development processes with Jira, Confluence, and Azure DevOps and supported cross-team alignment on architecture, quality, and implementation. Technical metrics Technologies & methods C#, .NET, ASP.NET, ASP.NET Core, Aspire, Docker, RabbitMQ, gRPC, REST API, Swagger, Microservices, NServiceBus, AutoMapper, Autofac, xUnit, AutoFixture, FluentValidation, Entity Framework Core, MediatR, Redis, Consul, Serilog, SonarQube, Azure DevOps, Azure Monitor, GitLab, Google Protocol Buffers, IronPDF, Mailjet, Jira, Confluence, Miro, agile development, Scrum, code reviews, refactoring, legacy code cleanup, workflow automation, power grids
Julian Hillebrand
Senior IT Project Manager & Program Manager | 12+ years | AI, Cloud, Data, Rollout, Transformation
Last position:
IT Project Manager AI product for automating knowledge-intensive processes at Leading provider of large-scale catering & food services
Project: Concept and implementation of an AI product for four business use cases
Project management of an AI project at a leading provider of large-scale catering and food services, where a production-ready AI product for four use cases was implemented together with an external development partner: automated briefings from CRM and document data, voice-based capture and structuring of reports, detection and merging of duplicates in master data, and data-based market analysis. A central focus was a privacy-compliant architecture that passed the internal IT security review and enabled productive use.
- Translating business requirements into clearly defined AI use cases with a clear product scope and clear value proposition
- Selecting and evaluating models and architecture options for text extraction, speech-to-text and context enrichment from business systems, including LLM integration, function calling and retrieval
- Designing and enforcing an architecture with European hosting, data minimization and masking of personal data as a prerequisite for approval
- Managing the interfaces between business, IT, IT security and the external development partner under restrictive data access conditions
- Coordinating with CIO and executive management on data access, risk assessment and approval decisions
- Preparing the transition into productive use
Julian Hillebrand
Senior IT Project Manager & Program Manager | 12+ years | AI, Cloud, Data, Rollout, Transformation
Last position:
IT Project Manager AI product for automating knowledge-intensive processes at Leading provider of large-scale catering & food services
Project: Concept and implementation of an AI product for four business use cases
Project management of an AI project at a leading provider of large-scale catering and food services, where a production-ready AI product for four use cases was implemented together with an external development partner: automated briefings from CRM and document data, voice-based
Project: Concept and implementation of an AI product for four business use cases
Project management of an AI project at a leading provider of large-scale catering and food services, where a production-ready AI product for four use cases was implemented together with an external development partner: automated briefings from CRM and document data, voice-based capture and structuring of reports, detection and merging of duplicates in master data, and data-based market analysis. A central focus was a privacy-compliant architecture that passed the internal IT security review and enabled productive use.
- Translating business requirements into clearly defined AI use cases with a clear product scope and clear value proposition
- Selecting and evaluating models and architecture options for text extraction, speech-to-text and context enrichment from business systems, including LLM integration, function calling and retrieval
- Designing and enforcing an architecture with European hosting, data minimization and masking of personal data as a prerequisite for approval
- Managing the interfaces between business, IT, IT security and the external development partner under restrictive data access conditions
- Coordinating with CIO and executive management on data access, risk assessment and approval decisions
- Preparing the transition into productive use
capture and structuring of reports, detection and merging of duplicates in master data, and data-based market analysis. A central focus was a privacy-compliant architecture that passed the internal IT security review and enabled productive use.
- Translating business requirements into clearly defined AI use cases with a clear product scope and clear value proposition
- Selecting and evaluating models and architecture options for text extraction, speech-to-text and context enrichment from business systems, including LLM integration, function calling and retrieval
- Designing and enforcing an architecture with European hosting, data minimization and masking of personal data as a prerequisite for approval
- Managing the interfaces between business, IT, IT security and the external development partner under restrictive data access conditions
- Coordinating with CIO and executive management on data access, risk assessment and approval decisions
- Preparing the transition into productive use
Piet Althoff
Senior Product Engineer / Automation Developer
Last position:
Founder at RubberMetrics.com
- Self-hosted table tennis equipment platform.
- Development of a custom “Racket Builder” that uses a co-evolutionary genetic algorithm to identify, evaluate, and recommend the optimal combinations of racket blades and rubbers based on physics heuristics and player data within a search space of over 4 billion combinations.
- Development of a custom fully automated web crawler to capture equipment specifications, integrating an automated pipeline for image normalization as well as data harmonization via DeepSeek.
- Cloudflare Edge Workers written in Rust to perform low-latency data searches and offload computationally intensive simulations from the main server.
- High performance and accessibility standards across a large Nuxt 4 codebase achieving 95–100/100/100 Lighthouse scores.
Piet Althoff
Senior Product Engineer / Automation Developer
Last position:
Founder at RubberMetrics.com
- Self-hosted table tennis equipment platform.
- Development of a custom “Racket Builder” that uses a co-evolutionary genetic algorithm to identify, evaluate, and recommend the optimal combinations of racket blades and rubbers based on physics heuristics and player data within a search space of over 4 billion combinations.
- Self-hosted table tennis equipment platform.
- Development of a custom “Racket Builder” that uses a co-evolutionary genetic algorithm to identify, evaluate, and recommend the optimal combinations of racket blades and rubbers based on physics heuristics and player data within a search space of over 4 billion combinations.
- Development of a custom fully automated web crawler to capture equipment specifications, integrating an automated pipeline for image normalization as well as data harmonization via DeepSeek.
- Cloudflare Edge Workers written in Rust to perform low-latency data searches and offload computationally intensive simulations from the main server.
- High performance and accessibility standards across a large Nuxt 4 codebase achieving 95–100/100/100 Lighthouse scores.
- Development of a custom fully automated web crawler to capture equipment specifications, integrating an automated pipeline for image normalization as well as data harmonization via DeepSeek.
- Cloudflare Edge Workers written in Rust to perform low-latency data searches and offload computationally intensive simulations from the main server.
- High performance and accessibility standards across a large Nuxt 4 codebase achieving 95–100/100/100 Lighthouse scores.
Victor Omojoye
Senior Software & Security Engineer · Systems Analysis · Automation Architecture
Last position:
AI Training Engineer at Confidential AI Research Client
- Codebase Evaluation & Problem Design: Designed and stress-tested complex software engineering problems against large open-source Python codebases (including pandas), requiring deep context acquisition and architectural understanding to produce well-scoped, realistic problem statements aligned to strict correctness guidelines.
- Agent Failure Analysis: Assessed LLM coding agent solutions for correctness and completeness, identifying meaningful failures across edge case handling, dtype behaviour, and multi-column NaN propagation logic; documented findings with precision for downstream evaluation use.
- Programmatic Test Suite Development: Authored comprehensive pytest suites to programmatically verify agent-generated solutions against defined requirements, with deliberate coverage of boundary conditions and failure modes not caught by naive implementations.
- Containerised Environment Engineering: Built and debugged Docker environments for reproducible agent execution, including git-based repository provisioning, dependency pinning with npm ci, and multi-stage Dockerfile authoring across Linux-based containers.
Victor Omojoye
Senior Software & Security Engineer · Systems Analysis · Automation Architecture
Last position:
AI Training Engineer at Confidential AI Research Client
- Codebase Evaluation & Problem Design: Designed and stress-tested complex software engineering problems against large open-source Python codebases (including pandas), requiring deep context acquisition and architectural understanding to produce well-scoped, realistic problem statements aligned to strict correctness guidelines.
- Codebase Evaluation & Problem Design: Designed and stress-tested complex software engineering problems against large open-source Python codebases (including pandas), requiring deep context acquisition and architectural understanding to produce well-scoped, realistic problem statements aligned to strict correctness guidelines.
- Agent Failure Analysis: Assessed LLM coding agent solutions for correctness and completeness, identifying meaningful failures across edge case handling, dtype behaviour, and multi-column NaN propagation logic; documented findings with precision for downstream evaluation use.
- Programmatic Test Suite Development: Authored comprehensive pytest suites to programmatically verify agent-generated solutions against defined requirements, with deliberate coverage of boundary conditions and failure modes not caught by naive implementations.
- Containerised Environment Engineering: Built and debugged Docker environments for reproducible agent execution, including git-based repository provisioning, dependency pinning with npm ci, and multi-stage Dockerfile authoring across Linux-based containers.
- Agent Failure Analysis: Assessed LLM coding agent solutions for correctness and completeness, identifying meaningful failures across edge case handling, dtype behaviour, and multi-column NaN propagation logic; documented findings with precision for downstream evaluation use.
- Programmatic Test Suite Development: Authored comprehensive pytest suites to programmatically verify agent-generated solutions against defined requirements, with deliberate coverage of boundary conditions and failure modes not caught by naive implementations.
- Containerised Environment Engineering: Built and debugged Docker environments for reproducible agent execution, including git-based repository provisioning, dependency pinning with npm ci, and multi-stage Dockerfile authoring across Linux-based containers.
William Nguyen
Senior/Lead Business Analyst & AI Workflow Consultant | Requirements Engineering | BI | Workflow Automation | Claude Code
Last position:
Senior Business Analyst/Requirements Engineer at Finanzen.Net/Finanzen.Zero
- Analysis of complex business processes and end-to-end user journeys in digital product and platform environments
- Gathering, structuring, and prioritizing business and technical requirements (Functional / Non-Functional Requirements)
- Translating business goals into actionable requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria
- Conducting stakeholder interviews, workshops, and reviews with business teams, IT, UX, and management
- Creating and maintaining requirement artifacts (BRD, FRD, user stories, process models, decision papers)
- Ensuring consistency between business needs, technical implementation, and product vision
- Close collaboration with development teams to clarify business questions during implementation
- Support with impact analyses (A/B tests), change requests, and scope management
- Quality assurance of implemented requirements including acceptance criteria and business testing
- Advising on the further development of product strategy and roadmap structure
- Prioritizing backlog items based on business value
- Defining and sharpening product goals, KPIs, MVP definition, and other success metrics
- Evaluating new features, tools, and initiatives from a user and business perspective
- Facilitating decision-making between business, product, and technology
- Supporting go-to-market considerations and product positioning
- Sparring partner for product and stakeholder decisions at management level
- Dashboard creation, data modeling, BI report administration, and data analysis in Power BI
William Nguyen
Senior/Lead Business Analyst & AI Workflow Consultant | Requirements Engineering | BI | Workflow Automation | Claude Code
Last position:
Senior Business Analyst/Requirements Engineer at Finanzen.Net/Finanzen.Zero
- Analysis of complex business processes and end-to-end user journeys in digital product and platform environments
- Gathering, structuring, and prioritizing business and technical requirements (Functional / Non-Functional Requirements)
- Translating business goals into actionable requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria
- Analysis of complex business processes and end-to-end user journeys in digital product and platform environments
- Gathering, structuring, and prioritizing business and technical requirements (Functional / Non-Functional Requirements)
- Translating business goals into actionable requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria
- Conducting stakeholder interviews, workshops, and reviews with business teams, IT, UX, and management
- Creating and maintaining requirement artifacts (BRD, FRD, user stories, process models, decision papers)
- Ensuring consistency between business needs, technical implementation, and product vision
- Close collaboration with development teams to clarify business questions during implementation
- Support with impact analyses (A/B tests), change requests, and scope management
- Quality assurance of implemented requirements including acceptance criteria and business testing
- Advising on the further development of product strategy and roadmap structure
- Prioritizing backlog items based on business value
- Defining and sharpening product goals, KPIs, MVP definition, and other success metrics
- Evaluating new features, tools, and initiatives from a user and business perspective
- Facilitating decision-making between business, product, and technology
- Supporting go-to-market considerations and product positioning
- Sparring partner for product and stakeholder decisions at management level
- Dashboard creation, data modeling, BI report administration, and data analysis in Power BI
- Conducting stakeholder interviews, workshops, and reviews with business teams, IT, UX, and management
- Creating and maintaining requirement artifacts (BRD, FRD, user stories, process models, decision papers)
- Ensuring consistency between business needs, technical implementation, and product vision
- Close collaboration with development teams to clarify business questions during implementation
- Support with impact analyses (A/B tests), change requests, and scope management
- Quality assurance of implemented requirements including acceptance criteria and business testing
- Advising on the further development of product strategy and roadmap structure
- Prioritizing backlog items based on business value
- Defining and sharpening product goals, KPIs, MVP definition, and other success metrics
- Evaluating new features, tools, and initiatives from a user and business perspective
- Facilitating decision-making between business, product, and technology
- Supporting go-to-market considerations and product positioning
- Sparring partner for product and stakeholder decisions at management level
- Dashboard creation, data modeling, BI report administration, and data analysis in Power BI
Janina Peters
Growth Engineer & Growth Manager
Last position:
AI and Automation at A-Leecon GmbH
- Introduction to AI and Automation
- The Automation Project
- Make.com Foundations
- Automation Basics: Data Management
- Document Workflows, Troubleshoot, and Automate Reports
- Digression: Data as the Foundation of AI Systems
- Implementing AI Solutions in Practice
- Digression: Large Language Models (LLMs)
Janina Peters
Growth Engineer & Growth Manager
Last position:
AI and Automation at A-Leecon GmbH
- Introduction to AI and Automation
- The Automation Project
- Make.com Foundations
- Automation Basics: Data Management
- Document Workflows, Troubleshoot, and Automate Reports
- Introduction to AI and Automation
- The Automation Project
- Make.com Foundations
- Automation Basics: Data Management
- Document Workflows, Troubleshoot, and Automate Reports
- Digression: Data as the Foundation of AI Systems
- Implementing AI Solutions in Practice
- Digression: Large Language Models (LLMs)
- Digression: Data as the Foundation of AI Systems
- Implementing AI Solutions in Practice
- Digression: Large Language Models (LLMs)
Thomas Meyer
Senior Software Developer & Software Architect | WordPress/WooCommerce · Wix/Velo · Kajabi · APIs
Last position:
Software Architect for Wix, Stripe & SaaS Integration at Axxessio / Sign2x (via DLB Studio)
Overall architecture and technical implementation of a Wix-based subscription frontend with Stripe payments and connection to Axxessio's SaaS backend. Implemented Stripe Checkout, subscriptions, webhooks, and transaction logging end to end. Customer data and contract information transferred automatically via a JWT-protected REST API. Designed and documented proxy and security architecture for IP whitelisting, HMAC, and operations, and aligned it with the backend team.
Stack: Wix Studio, Wix Velo, JavaScript, Stripe, Webhooks, JWT, HMAC, REST API, Hetzner, Cloudflare
Thomas Meyer
Senior Software Developer & Software Architect | WordPress/WooCommerce · Wix/Velo · Kajabi · APIs
Last position:
Software Architect for Wix, Stripe & SaaS Integration at Axxessio / Sign2x (via DLB Studio)
Overall architecture and technical implementation of a Wix-based subscription frontend with Stripe payments and connection to Axxessio's SaaS backend. Implemented Stripe Checkout, subscriptions, webhooks, and transaction logging end to end. Customer data and contract information transferred automatically via a JWT-protected REST API. Designed and documented
Overall architecture and technical implementation of a Wix-based subscription frontend with Stripe payments and connection to Axxessio's SaaS backend. Implemented Stripe Checkout, subscriptions, webhooks, and transaction logging end to end. Customer data and contract information transferred automatically via a JWT-protected REST API. Designed and documented proxy and security architecture for IP whitelisting, HMAC, and operations, and aligned it with the backend team.
Stack: Wix Studio, Wix Velo, JavaScript, Stripe, Webhooks, JWT, HMAC, REST API, Hetzner, Cloudflare
proxy and security architecture for IP whitelisting, HMAC, and operations, and aligned it with the backend team.
Stack: Wix Studio, Wix Velo, JavaScript, Stripe, Webhooks, JWT, HMAC, REST API, Hetzner, Cloudflare
Clarissa Heinemann
Data & Automation Engineer | M.Sc. Information Systems
Last position:
AI Trainer at Komdis GmbH
- Led comprehensive AI workshops for professionals, focusing on AI-driven process automation.
- Tech Stack: n8n, Make, LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic), Prompt Engineering, Process Mapping Tools.
Clarissa Heinemann
Data & Automation Engineer | M.Sc. Information Systems
Last position:
AI Trainer at Komdis GmbH
- Led comprehensive AI workshops for professionals, focusing on AI-driven process automation.
- Tech Stack: n8n, Make, LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic), Prompt Engineering, Process Mapping Tools.
- Led comprehensive AI workshops for professionals, focusing on AI-driven process automation.
- Tech Stack: n8n, Make, LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic), Prompt Engineering, Process Mapping Tools.
Matthias Lamsfuss
Freelance Developer & Founder
Last position:
Full Stack & AI Engineer at Elephant Technologies
Loom and Bloom
Python · TypeScript · n8n · Claude Code · Whisper · Gemini · Supabase · Notion · HubSpot · Digital Ocean
- Built an end-to-end content pipeline: one Loom video → marketing images, bilingual LinkedIn posts, newsletter and Help Center updates.
- n8n webhook → SSH → Claude Code session on a Digital Ocean VPS; three MCP servers (video, Notion, Supabase).
- Whisper word-level transcription, ffmpeg screenshots, Gemini UI annotation, PIL device mockups.
- Next.js upload UI plus a bilingual newsletter composer with HubSpot push.
Matthias Lamsfuss
Freelance Developer & Founder
Last position:
Full Stack & AI Engineer at Elephant Technologies
Loom and Bloom
Python · TypeScript · n8n · Claude Code · Whisper · Gemini · Supabase · Notion · HubSpot · Digital Ocean
- Built an end-to-end content pipeline: one Loom video → marketing images, bilingual LinkedIn posts, newsletter and Help Center updates.
Loom and Bloom
Python · TypeScript · n8n · Claude Code · Whisper · Gemini · Supabase · Notion · HubSpot · Digital Ocean
- Built an end-to-end content pipeline: one Loom video → marketing images, bilingual LinkedIn posts, newsletter and Help Center updates.
- n8n webhook → SSH → Claude Code session on a Digital Ocean VPS; three MCP servers (video, Notion, Supabase).
- Whisper word-level transcription, ffmpeg screenshots, Gemini UI annotation, PIL device mockups.
- Next.js upload UI plus a bilingual newsletter composer with HubSpot push.
- n8n webhook → SSH → Claude Code session on a Digital Ocean VPS; three MCP servers (video, Notion, Supabase).
- Whisper word-level transcription, ffmpeg screenshots, Gemini UI annotation, PIL device mockups.
- Next.js upload UI plus a bilingual newsletter composer with HubSpot push.
Norbert Buro
Project Manager Electrical Engineering, Automation, Shipbuilding
Last position:
Project Manager Electrical Engineering and Automation at Fr. Fassmer GmbH
- Project management of electrical engineering and automation for the research vessel Meteor on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space.
- Organized development.
- Negotiated with clients and project owners.
- Managed up to eight employees.
Norbert Buro
Project Manager Electrical Engineering, Automation, Shipbuilding
Last position:
Project Manager Electrical Engineering and Automation at Fr. Fassmer GmbH
- Project management of electrical engineering and automation for the research vessel Meteor on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space.
- Organized development.
- Project management of electrical engineering and automation for the research vessel Meteor on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space.
- Organized development.
- Negotiated with clients and project owners.
- Managed up to eight employees.
- Negotiated with clients and project owners.
- Managed up to eight employees.
Matthias Dräger
Building Automation Project WAGO
Last position:
Project Building Automation WAGO at Ingenieurbüro Dräger
- Topic: Programming of heating controls
- Client: Hoffbauer Foundation
- Requirements: Analysis of existing systems, reprogramming, commissioning, documentation
- Focus: Development of automation solutions and control systems
- Technology: Codesys 3.5
Matthias Dräger
Building Automation Project WAGO
Last position:
Project Building Automation WAGO at Ingenieurbüro Dräger
- Topic: Programming of heating controls
- Client: Hoffbauer Foundation
- Requirements: Analysis of existing systems, reprogramming, commissioning, documentation
- Topic: Programming of heating controls
- Client: Hoffbauer Foundation
- Requirements: Analysis of existing systems, reprogramming, commissioning, documentation
- Focus: Development of automation solutions and control systems
- Technology: Codesys 3.5
- Focus: Development of automation solutions and control systems
- Technology: Codesys 3.5
Basel Jaber
Senior Application Engineer / Product Manager
Last position:
Senior Application Engineer / Product Manager at Altran Magnetics LLC
- Oversee development and optimization of key products, including DP contactors, EMI filters, and circuit breakers.
- Lead certification processes ensuring compliance with UL, TÜV, and VDE standards.
- Act as technical liaison between customers, sales teams, and manufacturing to deliver customized solutions.
Basel Jaber
Senior Application Engineer / Product Manager
Last position:
Senior Application Engineer / Product Manager at Altran Magnetics LLC
- Oversee development and optimization of key products, including DP contactors, EMI filters, and circuit breakers.
- Lead certification processes ensuring compliance with UL, TÜV, and VDE standards.
- Oversee development and optimization of key products, including DP contactors, EMI filters, and circuit breakers.
- Lead certification processes ensuring compliance with UL, TÜV, and VDE standards.
- Act as technical liaison between customers, sales teams, and manufacturing to deliver customized solutions.
- Act as technical liaison between customers, sales teams, and manufacturing to deliver customized solutions.
Andreas Eckert
IT Service - Support & Automation
Last position:
IT-Compliance & Security at Bellaseno GmbH
Conducting a gap analysis to assess existing security measures → identifying critical vulnerabilities
Developing a catalog of measures considering risk and cost-effectiveness
Implementing an IT maturity model according to BSI guidelines
Advising management on compliance, governance, and security strategy
Establishing internal processes for a sustainable security organization
Andreas Eckert
IT Service - Support & Automation
Last position:
IT-Compliance & Security at Bellaseno GmbH
Conducting a gap analysis to assess existing security measures → identifying critical vulnerabilities
Developing a catalog of measures considering risk and cost-effectiveness
Conducting a gap analysis to assess existing security measures → identifying critical vulnerabilities
Developing a catalog of measures considering risk and cost-effectiveness
Implementing an IT maturity model according to BSI guidelines
Advising management on compliance, governance, and security strategy
Establishing internal processes for a sustainable security organization
Implementing an IT maturity model according to BSI guidelines
Advising management on compliance, governance, and security strategy
Establishing internal processes for a sustainable security organization
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Automation Engineers statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
15 years
Position duration
2.6 years
Positions per freelancer
11
Top business areas
Product Development, Information Technology, Operations
Top industries
Manufacturing, Information Technology, Automotive
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Product Development, Quality Assurance
Bachelor's degree or higher
85%
Master's degree or higher
48%
Doctorate
9%
Certifications per freelancer
2
Most common languages
German, English, Spanish
Speak two or more languages
92%
Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role 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 Automation Engineers & 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
Got questions? Learn key details about FRATCH right now
A Automation Engineer builds, adapts, and troubleshoots control systems for machines, production lines, and process equipment. In a freelance setup, the work often includes PLC logic, HMI or SCADA changes, commissioning support, and fixing issues that block startup or stable operation.
Look for strong PLC programming, control-system troubleshooting, and the ability to read electrical diagrams and machine behavior together. A good automation engineer also understands testing, documentation, and how to work with production and maintenance teams. For many projects, practical experience matters more than general software skills.
The terms often overlap, but an Automation Engineer usually covers a broader scope than a pure PLC programmer. They may handle control logic, plant integration, HMI work, commissioning, and support after startup. A controls engineer can be similar, depending on the company and industry.
A freelancer makes sense when you need specialist help for a defined project, extra capacity during a busy period, or fast support for a plant issue. That is common in upgrades, new line launches, and commissioning work. It is also useful when your internal team knows the plant but lacks time for hands-on implementation.
Part of the job can be done remotely, especially software review, documentation, simulation, and preparation work. But an Automation Engineer often needs at least some on-site time for wiring checks, I/O tests, startup, and fault finding. The right mix depends on the machine, the risk level, and the phase of the project.
In Germany, automation work is common in manufacturing, automotive supply, packaging, food production, and process industries. These clients usually need people who can fit into existing engineering teams and work with local technical standards and plant routines. On-site collaboration is often important during commissioning and acceptance.
A good Automation Engineer should deliver working control code, clear HMI or SCADA changes, test support, and documentation that others can maintain. Depending on the project, they may also provide fault reports, commissioning notes, and handover material for operations or maintenance teams. The key is not just delivery, but stable behavior after startup.
Ask for examples of machines or lines they have supported, the control platforms they know, and the problems they solved under time pressure. Strong candidates explain how they test, document, and hand over their work instead of only listing tools. For freelance work, proven project delivery is usually the best signal.
The average hourly rate for Automation Engineers in Germany is 94 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 752 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Automation Engineers in Germany, 85% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 48% hold at least a Master's degree, and 9% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as Automation Engineers in Germany have 15 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.6 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Automation Engineers in Germany are German (100%), English (90%), and Spanish (18%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Automation Engineers in Germany are Manufacturing (72%), Information Technology (59%), and Automotive (38%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Automation Engineers in Germany are Product Development (87%), Information Technology (77%), and Operations (64%).
FRATCH Automation Engineers main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
