Principal Test & Characterization Engineer — Advanced Photonic and Semiconductor Systems

Western Digital

Salary: not listed by employer
★ Trustpilot 1.2 (681 customer reviews) on Trustpilot (opens in new tab)
Typical pay for tech professionals in Germany: around €69,000 a year Official statistics
Also hiring in India, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and 1 more country (open roles on Tech Abroad)
Permanent residency after about 2 yrs
Citizenship after about 5 yrs
Work language: likely English (posting is in English)

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About the role

Job Description Modern intelligent systems increasingly depend on advanced semiconductor and photonic technologies that require entirely new approaches to characterization, measurement automation, and experimental analysis. We are looking for a Senior Test & Characterization Engineer to develop and operate advanced experimental platforms for next-generation device technologies. This role combines hands-on laboratory work, automated measurement infrastructure, large-scale data analysis, and AI-assisted characterization workflows. You will build the systems that transform experimental devices into actionable engineering insight. What you’ll be doing: • Develop and operate advanced electrical,…

Social security agreement

Add your citizenship in your answers and we’ll check whether Germany has an agreement with your country.

Location Insights: Ulm

Take-home pay (Country tax)
About €3,320 a month after tax, from typical pay for tech professionals in Germany (€69,000 a year, official statistics), not this employer's offer, using the average rate of 42.3% for a single employee on a higher salary
Weather (City)
Berlin (nearest reference city): summer highs about 78°F / 26°C, winter highs about 39°F / 4°C
Safety (Country)
High peacefulness (Global Peace Index rank 28)

Salary

Salary: not listed by employer

Typical pay for tech professionals in Germany: around €69,000 a year Official statistics

Work visa routes in Germany

EU Blue Card

Salary

At least €50,700 per year€45,934 per year for IT specialists, other shortage occupations, and graduates within 3 years of their degree

You need

A job offer or contract in Germany at or above the salary threshold
A recognised university degree (or a foreign degree comparable to a German one), and a job that matches it

No degree?

IT specialists without a degree: at least 3 years of relevant professional experience at academic level in IT, gained in the last 7 years, with a salary of at least €45,934.20 (the Federal Employment Agency must approve)

Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)(opens in new tab) · checked 5 October 2026

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Work visas in Germany

How long a decision takes

With the accelerated skilled worker procedure, the German mission schedules the visa appointment within three weeks, and decides as a rule within three weeks of receiving all documents (after the immigration office’s advance approval). (Make it in Germany: accelerated skilled worker procedure (employer guide)(opens in new tab), checked 6 October 2026)

Work permits issued in 2025

108,091 first permits for work
20,521 EU Blue Cards
12,710 highly skilled worker permits

First permits only, all nationalities. Eurostat (migr_resocc)(opens in new tab), updated 28 September 2026.

What if this job doesn’t work out?

If the job ends

In your first 12 months on an EU Blue Card, a change of job must be reported to the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde), which can suspend it for 30 days and refuse it in that time. (BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees): EU Blue Card(opens in new tab), checked 6 October 2026)

Probation

During an agreed probation period of at most six months, either side can end the contract with two weeks’ notice. (German Civil Code, § 622(3) BGB(opens in new tab), checked 6 October 2026)

General information from official sources, not legal advice. Your contract and permit decide the details.

Where this listing comes from

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