Senior HR Specialist - Apprenticeship & Vocational Training (m/f/d) - #2735090

Are you ready to strategically and pedagogically lead the end-to-end apprentice journey for Europe's newest, most advanced semiconductor facility?

As a Senior HR Specialist - Apprenticeship & Vocational Training (m/f/d) at ESMC in Dresden, you will move beyond standard administration to drive collaborative success across all core phases of our technical vocational education. You will be the architect of our future talent pipeline—managing employer branding at schools, coordinating dual-training plans, mentoring Gen-Z apprentices, and ensuring legal compliance.

Fitting into our fast-paced greenfield environment, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape the next generation of microtechnology and industrial specialists from the ground up!

Job Responsibilities

• Talent Attraction & Recruitment: Design and execute targeted school marketing strategies, represent ESMC at career fairs, manage the applicant pipeline, conduct interviews, and issue apprenticeship contracts.
• Onboarding & Pastoral Care: Serve as the primary point of contact and dedicated mentor for future apprentices, coordinating orientation phases and providing continuous coaching.
• Training Curriculum Coordination: Design dual-training plans, manage internal rotations across manufacturing departments, and coordinate closely with local vocational schools (Berufsschulen).
• Train-the-Trainer Support: Provide ongoing pedagogical and structured guidance to our operational Fab trainers on the manufacturing floor.
• Legal Compliance: Ensure full operational compliance with the German Vocational Training Act (BBiG), the Youth Employment Protection Act (JArbSchG), and other relevant educational laws.
• Key Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain excellent collaborative relationships with the local Works Council (Betriebsrat/JAV), vocational schools, and local chambers (IHK).
• Graduation & Placement: Coordinate final exam preparations, align with department managers to map out post-graduation career pathways, and handle transition contract processes.
  
  

Must-Have

Job Qualifications

• Certifications: Holder of the AdA-Schein (AEVO / Ausbildereignungsprüfung)—the mandatory qualification to train apprentices in Germany.
• Education: Academic degree (B.Sc./M.Sc.) or certified technical expert background (Staatlich geprüfter Techniker) with a verified trainer/tester license.
• Experience: 5+ years of professional experience managing vocational training programs within a technical, manufacturing, or industrial environment (e.g., semiconductor, automotive, automation, or chemical industries).
• Regulatory & Institutional Knowledge: Strong, practical experience working successfully with the IHK and a deep understanding of German legal frameworks (BBiG, JArbSchG, and BetrVG).
• Languages: Fluent German (C1/C2) is mandatory for official communications with authorities, schools, and parents. Strong English skills (B2/C1) are required for internal collaboration in our international corporate environment.
• Pedagogical Drive: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to motivate, resolve conflicts, and guide Gen-Z young adults through their personal and professional development.
  
  

Nice-to-Have

• Familiarity with cleanroom environments, semiconductor fab safety regulations, and the technical demands of Microtechnology (Mikrotechnologe/In).
• Experience setting up apprenticeship structures in a fast-growing, ramp-up corporate environment.
  
  

Why Join ESMC?

• Help build a completely new semiconductor manufacturing site in Europe.
• Work in a highly international environment with colleagues across Europe, Taiwan and the US.
• Shape processes instead of maintaining existing structures.
• Participate in global projects and cross-functional collaboration.