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Computer-Aided Design Expert

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Hire experts who create parametric 3D models, technical drawings and manufacturing documentation across tools such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks and CATIA. FRATCH connects you quickly with vetted, available freelancers whose skills match your project.

Meet FRATCH Experts who have recently used Computer-Aided Design

Verified expert

Philipp S.

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Interim Transformation & Product Operations Lead | Turning complex requirements into working solutions

München
Philipp S.

Last position:

Independent Consultant at Schlegtendal solutions

  • Business analyst/project manager/trainer/entrepreneur
  • Consulting companies in the areas of business analysis, process management, agile project management, and organizational development.
  • Leading digitalization and transformation projects (LichtBlick SE, E.ON, Co.met, Stromnetz Hamburg)
  • Introducing agile ways of working and building efficient process and PMO structures
  • Successfully implementing a product launch (idea-to-market, > 100 epics over 3 years)
  • Creating requirements specifications, process models, and IT concepts
  • Coaching and training specialists and managers (Jira/Confluence, procurement)
  • Developing my own product “TriggaBuddy” – concept, CAD design, 3D printing, registered design
  • Consulting assignments: E.ON, LichtBlick SE, Co.Met, Stromnetz Hamburg GmbH
Verified expert

Celestin F.

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Senior Project Manager & Process Consultant | Quality Management | Six Sigma Black Belt

Wunstorf
Celestin F.

Last position:

Project Manager & Technical Project Lead at Faycestar-Engineering

  • In this role, I led a funded development and prototyping project with an external partner.
  • I structured processes for schedule, budget and risk management.
  • I coordinated meetings and reports with all parties involved.
  • I systematically prepared the next project phases through to piloting and planned scaling.
Verified expert

Henning U.

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Senior Expert Data Governance, Master Data Quality and Data Migration

Leichlingen (Rheinland)
Henning U.

Last position:

Senior Expert Data Governance, Master Data Quality and Data Migration at E.ON

  • Planning and implementation of a migration strategy for master and transaction data for the continuous loading of a cloud-independent database
  • Creation and pilot implementation of a company-wide Business Data Model for customers, suppliers, contracts, products, prices, consumption, invoices, and dunning
  • Concept and consulting for a Data Governance Framework incl. definition of committees, roles, processes, and metadata model
  • Operationalization of the Data Governance Framework with definition of data standards
  • Sub-project management in two pilot projects (PoCs) for Data Governance systems (ErwinDIS and Atlan)
  • Training and coaching the data team in migration, data quality, and data modeling
Verified expert

Martin H.

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Senior IT Transformation Consultant | Solution Architect | Cloud Architect | CTO/CIO Advisor

Freilassing
Martin H.

Last position:

Lead Product Owner at Energy

  • Team leadership: Prioritization and coordination of four cross-functional teams.
  • Platform strategy: Development and implementation of strategies to optimize existing IT platforms.
  • Stakeholder management: Active management of expectations and communication with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Program and innovation management: Prioritization and coordination of cross-department projects as well as innovation initiatives.
  • Product Owner consulting: Advising Product Owners with a focus on product development and continuous product improvement.
  • Organizational development: Improving communication and decision-making structures across all organizational levels.
  • Change management: Implementing best-practice change management methods to ensure continuous optimization and innovation.
  • Quality assurance: Ensuring high quality standards in processes, services, and deliverables.
Verified expert

Jens-Uwe P.

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Diplom-Physiker And Certified LabVIEW Architect With Over 15 Years Of Experience In The Development Of Automated Measurement,

Coburg
Jens-Uwe P.

Last position:

Architecture and programming for an automotive test bench platform at Automotive supplier

In this project, I was responsible for designing and implementing a new, modular, and highly scalable test bench platform for an automotive supplier. My focus was on developing a robust system architecture and programming the associated software, with UML modeling used consistently throughout. This structured approach significantly increased the reusability of individual LabVIEW test modules and sustainably reduced development time for subsequent projects. I also integrated modern automotive standards such as CAN FD, LIN, and safety requirements, making the solution future-proof.

Technologies: LabVIEW, Visio, UML, CAN FD, LIN, DMM, Safety, Image processing, Project management, HMI, C#, C++, Python, Rust, CI

Verified expert

Ajay C.

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Software Developer & AI Engineer | Python, RESTful APIs, CI/CD, DevOps

Braunschweig
Ajay C.

Last position:

Software Engineer & Cloud AI Developer at TANGILITY GmbH

Built Python-based AI microservices and integrations for an AEC/VR Unity-based SaaS app, focusing on LLM/VLM capabilities, retrieval-backed systems, RESTful APIs, containerized deployment, and an automation microservice for the CAD-to-Unity pipeline.

  • Developed a custom Hybrid A* based algorithm in C# to simulate hospital scenarios and detect early-stage design conflicts from collision/spatial data and generate structured reports.
  • Solved and automated the time-consuming problem of converting CAD files to usable Unity environments with a custom-engineered and real-time pipeline using a ZeroMQ-based communication layer to distribute workloads across multiple processes and achieve real-time performance.
  • Built a Dockerized FastAPI pipeline for CAD-to-Unity automation, combining vision-based object matching, image embeddings, and precomputed metadata to automatically map CAD objects to Unity behavior scripts, assign properties, and reduce repeated AI inference calls.
  • Created documentation and examples to help technical users understand, configure, and extend the AI automation pipeline.
Verified expert

Manfred B.

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Interim Manager as CIO and Managing Director

Ahrensburg
Manfred B.

Last position:

Interim Manager Managing Director

  • Optimization of business results and expansion of sales activities
  • Responsible for personnel organization
  • Introduction of a document management system (DMS)
  • Introduction and optimization of the ERP, CMS and CRM landscape
  • Introduction of digital signatures
  • Increase in revenue, reduction in costs and increase in EBIT
Verified expert

Saurabh H.

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Mechatronics Engineer

Ingolstadt
Saurabh H.

Last position:

Master Thesis, Simulation at AVL in Germany

  • Engineered and validated a full-vehicle thermal management system in MiL simulation, achieving 95% correlation accuracy against real-world vehicle measurements, directly supporting virtual calibration and reducing dependency on physical test benches.
  • Led end-to-end Model-in-the-Loop (MiL) simulation development using AVL CruiseM and MATLAB/Simulink, covering system architecture, parameterization, and validation.
  • Acquired and analyzed vehicle sensor measurements (temperature, volumetric flow rate) using dSpace MicroAutoBox (HiL) and IPEmotion, translating raw data into actionable calibration insights.
  • Calibrated and optimized critical actuators and thermal components - pumps, valves, electric heaters, heat exchangers, and refrigerant circuits and identified/integrated previously missing physical behaviors to close the gap between simulated and real vehicle performance.
  • Designed and tuned an integrated actuator controller with precisely calibrated parameters, producing a high-accuracy virtual model adopted for downstream development use.
Verified expert

Kersten L.

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Senior Consultant · Full-Stack Engineer · Coding Architect · AI Engineer · Coach

Dortmund
Kersten L.

Last position:

Lead Architect / Lead Developer at Bettles: Sports Betting Platform

  • Complete greenfield rebuild across the whole stack — built AI-native: backend in Go and NestJS, PostgreSQL (CNPG) on K3s with GitOps/Terraform; frontend on Angular 22, zoneless.
  • Orchestrated coding agents (e.g. Claude Code, Cursor) across the entire lifecycle — architecture, implementation, testing, reviews, documentation — driven by Specification-Driven Development (SDD).
  • “Bruno” — LLM commentator persona backed by RAG and MCP for a personality that stays consistent across all generations (match previews, post-match reports, his own virtual bets).

Angular 22 (zoneless, without Zone.js), Claude Code, Claude Code Skills, CNPG, Cursor, Design Tokens (Spec for Code), Docker, Gherkin, Git, GitLab, GitOps, Go, Google Gemini, Grafana, Hetzner Cloud, K3s, Keycloak, Kubernetes, Lighthouse, LLM Integration, Model Context Protocol (MCP), NestJS, Node.js, NPM, Playwright, PostgreSQL, Prometheus, RAG, REST, Specification-Driven Development (SDD), Structured Outputs, Terraform, TypeScript, Vitest

Verified expert

Hashem B.

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Dr.-Ing.

Linkenheim-Hochstetten
Hashem B.

Last position:

Project Manager, QMB and Safety Officer at TRIPLAN GmbH

Project Manager Management, coordination and monitoring, as well as documentation and evaluation, of numerous multidisciplinary projects in the field of "production plants/plant engineering", in the gas and oil, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries QMB and Safety Officer Involved in the introduction of the quality management system and in the preparation and execution of the certification audit "energy, safety, and QM audit".

Verified expert

Hermann-Georg I.

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CSA Lead Manager

Arnschwang
Hermann-Georg I.

Last position:

CSA Lead Manager at SPIE SNG

  • Responsible for new Substations Construction for Data Center
  • Overall Management with clients
  • Interface Management with Stakeholder and contracted EPC Contractors
  • Construction Management
  • Contractor Management
  • Project Coordination
  • Project Delivery Management
  • Interface Management with internal Parties
  • Interface with Local authorities
  • Value multi Million USD
Verified expert

Alain R.

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Consultant Part-Time (Regional Sales Development)

Bad Salzuflen
Alain R.

Last position:

Consultant Part-Time (Regional Sales Development) at Solwig GmbH

  • Acquisition activities
  • Reporting
Verified expert

Andreas W.

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Senior Solution Architect | Enterprise Architect

Clenze
Andreas W.

Last position:

Enterprise Architect at Own development / IP of CAMCO Engineering UG

UEF 3.0 · Semantic Government Overlay (SGO) · Autonomous Systems (UAS / dual use)

  • Designed: Semantic Government Overlay (SGO) – AI-guided administration without replacing existing specialist procedures. Read-only semantic layer over registers and specialist processes based on the Federal Information Management (FIM). Decision authority remains with the case worker (architecture principle).
  • Developed: Reference architecture with source-backed, derived statements (Executable Ontologies OWL/RDF/SHACL). Technically guaranteed purpose limitation and no-write-path principle in specialist data – auditable, without a central data pool.
  • Anchored: Regulation as a design principle: EU AI Act (high-risk obligations for public-sector AI, fundamental rights impact assessment under Art. 27), GDPR, NIS2, and administrative automation limits (§ 35a VwVfG, § 31a SGB X) as technical control points in the architecture.
  • Created: Methodical tool for pilot organizations: data pipeline assessment (phase 0), compliance blueprint, and management summary as a decision-ready package for public administration.
  • Specified: UEF 3.0 as a successor architecture to TOGAF – decision paper, canonical ontology, six-layer architecture, read/actuate boundary, federation registry, terminology concordance, and release delta as a closed specification status.
  • Architected: AI-native mission OS for autonomous UAS and ground robotics as a tactical layer on top of a separately approved autopilot. Run-time assurance according to ASTM F3269-21 (Simplex pattern): the verified safety controller keeps authority, the AI function provides suggestions.
  • Designed: Three-tier architecture – Tier 0 autopilot with 650 Hz flight control on RTOS, Tier 1 AI OS with semantic world model and multi-agent cluster, Tier 2 swarm and ground mesh. Zenoh as the primary fabric, MAVLink as the only authenticated command path (single writer). Result: graceful degradation – loss of the mission, not of the aircraft.
  • Secured: Two-gate chain on the read/actuate boundary – governance gate (can-question: AI Act risk class per actuation, enforced human oversight under Art. 14, immutable log) before the RTA safety monitor (is-it-correct question: flight envelope, geofence, energy reserve) with revert to the baseline controller.
  • Anchored: Dual-use architecture with common core and build-time fork instead of runtime switch. Three separate legal levels: civil variant – UAS under the EASA Basic Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 with the limited applicability under Art. 2(2) of the AI Act, ground robotics under the Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 with the full high-risk obligation chain, Cyber Resilience Act for both; unarmed carrier variant as defense material under AWG/AWV and Dual-Use Regulation 2021/821 (BAFA approval); armed variant under KrWaffKontrG. Each variant lives under exactly one dominant legal regime. Evidence base: AI BOM, SBOM, and complete data lineage.
  • Analyzed: System analysis and realignment of grown engineering system landscapes. Approach concept for consolidation without migration – semantic layer over the existing sources instead of data transfer. Result: decision-ready implementation concept including an evaluation model for the target architecture.
Verified expert

Janine S.

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Freelance Business Operations & Executive Support

Böblingen
Janine S.

Last position:

Virtual Assistant to Management / Business Administration at TBN – Technische Beratung

  • Managing the operational back office
  • Handling quotations and invoicing
  • Supporting preparatory accounting
  • Coordinating appointments and operational alignments
  • Interface management between management, clients, and external partners
  • Structuring administrative processes in day-to-day business

By taking over operational back office tasks, management is noticeably relieved. Administrative processes run in a more structured, reliable, and efficient way, creating more time for clients, projects, and entrepreneurial decisions.

Discover over 15,000 top freelancers

Statistics of experts using Computer-Aided Design

Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.

Experience

22 years

Computer-Aided Design experts have 22 years of professional experience on average.

Position duration

5.8 years

Computer-Aided Design experts stay in a single position for 5.8 years on average.

Positions per freelancer

12

Computer-Aided Design experts have completed 12 positions on average over the course of their careers.

Top business areas

Product Development, Project Management, Quality Assurance

Computer-Aided Design experts have gathered most of their hands-on project experience in Product Development, Project Management, and Quality Assurance.

Top industries

Manufacturing, Automotive, Information Technology

Computer-Aided Design experts are most in demand in Manufacturing, Automotive, and Information Technology.

Certification focus areas

Quality Assurance, Product Development, Operations

Computer-Aided Design experts earn their certifications most often in Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Operations.

Bachelor's degree or higher

87%

87% of Computer-Aided Design experts hold at least a Bachelor's degree.

Master's degree or higher

50%

50% of Computer-Aided Design experts hold at least a Master's degree.

Doctorate

9%

9% of Computer-Aided Design experts have a doctorate (PhD).

Certifications per freelancer

2

Computer-Aided Design experts hold 2 professional certifications on average.

Most common languages

German, English, French

Computer-Aided Design experts most often speak German, English, and French.

Speak two or more languages

96%

96% of Computer-Aided Design experts speak two or more languages.

Based on our profile pool as of 26 Sep 2026.

Daily rate distribution

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
7% of Computer-Aided Design experts charge less than €400 per day.
52% of Computer-Aided Design experts charge between €400 and €800 per day.
34% of Computer-Aided Design experts charge between €800 and €1200 per day.
5% of Computer-Aided Design experts charge between €1200 and €1600 per day.
1% of Computer-Aided Design experts charge €1600 or more per day.
<€400 €400-​800 €800-​1200 €1200-​1600 €1600+

The chart shows how the daily rates of experts in this technology are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows the share of experts charging within that range.

Average rates of experts using Computer-Aided Design

Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.

800
600
400
200
Rate comparison chart
Daily rate avg. 721 €

The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.

800
600
400
200
Rate comparison chart
Median rate 716 €

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.

Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 26 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.

Computer-Aided Design experts industry focus

See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.

  • Manufacturing (79%)
  • Automotive (56%)
  • Information Technology (36%)
  • Professional Services (33%)
  • Energy (31%)
  • Education (26%)
  • Aerospace and Defense (25%)
  • Construction (25%)

Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.

About the technology

What CAD covers

Computer-Aided Design, commonly called CAD, uses software to create, edit and document precise digital representations of products, parts, buildings and systems. Depending on the discipline, the work may involve 2D drafting, 3D solid modelling, surface modelling, assemblies or parametric design. These files support design reviews, simulation, manufacturing and construction.

Models and deliverables

CAD specialists turn requirements, sketches and measurements into usable design data. Their deliverables can include:

  • Parametric 3D parts and assemblies
  • 2D manufacturing and construction drawings
  • Sheet-metal, weldment and surface models
  • Bills of materials and revision-controlled documentation
  • Files prepared for CNC, 3D printing or BIM workflows

Tools and disciplines

The ecosystem ranges from AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor to SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX, PTC Creo, Fusion 360 and Rhino. Strong professionals understand the conventions of mechanical, industrial, architectural, civil or electrical design, rather than treating CAD as a single generic tool. They also work with formats such as DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES and STL.

When to bring in specialists

Companies often need freelance CAD expertise when internal teams face a design backlog, require capacity for a product launch or need to convert legacy drawings into structured models. Specialists can also support supplier handovers, prototype iterations, reverse engineering and the preparation of files for production. Clear requirements, reference geometry and approval workflows help them start efficiently.

Skills beyond modelling

Reliable CAD professionals combine geometric accuracy with practical knowledge of materials, tolerances, manufacturing methods and design-for-assembly principles. Depending on the project, adjacent skills may include GD&T, finite element analysis, rendering, 3D scanning, CAM, BIM coordination or product lifecycle management. They document assumptions and keep revisions traceable.

Choosing the right expert

Review comparable models and drawings, not only software names on a profile. Ask how the specialist handles design intent, constraints, file exchange, naming conventions and feedback from manufacturing or construction teams. A strong professional explains trade-offs clearly, checks interfaces and delivers clean, editable files that another team member can maintain.

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Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to the questions that come up most around Computer-Aided Design.

Computer-Aided Design is used to create accurate 2D drawings and 3D models for products, machinery, buildings, components and systems. The resulting files can guide design reviews, prototyping, manufacturing, construction and technical documentation.

CAD provides precise geometry, editable constraints, reusable components and controlled revisions that are difficult to manage in manual drafting. Compared with general 3D modelling tools, CAD is usually stronger for dimensions, assemblies, engineering documentation and production intent.

A strong Computer-Aided Design specialist should use the software that fits the discipline and deliverables. Common choices include AutoCAD, SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX, PTC Creo, Autodesk Inventor, Fusion 360 and Rhino, alongside reliable knowledge of formats such as STEP and DWG.

Professionals working with CAD may also bring knowledge of GD&T, materials, machining, sheet metal, injection moulding, CAM, rendering or 3D scanning. Architectural and construction projects may require BIM coordination, while product work may benefit from simulation or product lifecycle management.

The right level depends on the design risk, tolerances, industry standards and handover requirements. Computer-Aided Design work for simple drawings may need focused production support, while complex assemblies, tooling or regulated documentation call for a specialist who has handled comparable deliverables.

Yes, CAD work is often suitable for remote collaboration when files, software access, review rules and measurements are clearly defined. On-site work can be useful for scanning, factory checks, physical prototypes or close coordination with production teams.

Ask to review relevant examples and inspect whether models are editable, logically structured and free of unnecessary geometry. For Computer-Aided Design, quality also means correct dimensions, tolerances, references, file formats, revision control and documentation that others can use.

A CAD professional should confirm the required software version, source files, units, coordinate system, modelling standards, output formats and approval process. They should also ask about manufacturing or construction constraints, naming conventions, confidentiality and how design changes will be recorded.

The average hourly rate of freelancers who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects is 90 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 721 € based on an 8-hour working day.

Of the freelancers who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects, 87% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 50% hold at least a Master's degree, and 9% hold a doctorate.

On average, freelancers who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects have 22 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 5.8 years.

The most common languages among freelancers who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects are German (99%), English (96%), and French (22%).

The most common industries among freelancers who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects are Manufacturing (79%), Automotive (56%), and Information Technology (36%).

The most common business areas among freelancers who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects are Product Development (87%), Project Management (69%), and Quality Assurance (63%).

Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used Computer-Aided Design

Our freelancers and interim experts are at home all over Germany — available on-site in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and every major business hub, or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.

In Austria our freelancers and interim experts support companies from Vienna to Graz — on-site where your project needs them, or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.

Vienna Graz

Across Switzerland our specialists are active in Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern — working on-site or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.

Zurich Geneva Basel Bern

Countries:

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