Question for Darmstadt

[stek]

Got a call today, gig in Darmstadt, three year contract! Not a great rate but three years...

Should I assume it's ESA? Pimp wouldn't say, but was surprised I'd guessed at it - D'oh, for me Darmstadt=ESA, Knutsford=Barclays, not rocket science, harhar!

Odd call too, back to the old days, encouraging me to add stuff back to my cv I'd long since deleted.

Cheers Bud!

[threaded]

Only 3 years? They're 5 years behind at the moment, and working as hard as possible to make it 6. It's a lifetime sentence...

threaded in "ground station test" mode

[expat]

Got a call today, gig in Darmstadt, three year contract! Not a great rate but three years...

Should I assume it's ESA? Pimp wouldn't say, but was surprised I'd guessed at it - D'oh, for me Darmstadt=ESA, Knutsford=Barclays, not rocket science, harhar!

Odd call too, back to the old days, encouraging me to add stuff back to my cv I'd long since deleted.

Cheers Bud!

Darmstadt I am not, but I have been there. Could it be Deutsche Telekom?

[stek]

Darmstadt I am not, but I have been there. Could it be Deutsche Telekom?

Eee, dunno now! I've had non-productive calls in the past for ESA, Darmstadt - long term again - two and two and all that!

Let's see what happens....

[AlfredJPruffock]

Could be Merck or Eumetsat ,,,

[darmstadt]

There's quite a few places in Darmstadt and I quite often get mails inquiring but they never actually tell you who it is until you're really interested. One of the easiest ways is to read the jobspec which quite often helps. As people have said, there is:

- ESA (actually ESOC) but you won't be working for them directly but one of the many firms who operate there such as Serco or Logica
- Eumetsat, same applies as above
- Merck
- Deutsche Telekom, well kind of. There is T-Systems, T-Online, T-Com, etc. They have built a huge campus, T-City, which has all of them there and take on a lot of staff. I got offered one there at the start of this year and even went along for a couple of days even though I had never used the software so jacked it in before making a fool of myself
- Software AG, headquarters are here
- Wella, headquarters are here
- Schenk

There are a lot of smaller IT companies here as Darmstadt is trying to promote itself as a 'high tech' city even going so far as to build a number of small technology parks and office blocks for tech firms. The Technical University is quite respected and so attracts these firms. Looking at the 3 years makes me suspect its either ESOC or EUMETSAT though, good canteens.

[threaded]

<snipped>, good canteens.

Seconded. They appear to always have cake in at least one of them square buffet things of which there are a few. Can't go wrong.

[stek]

Thanks everyone.

Still no clue who it's for but I still reckon Space or Satellite mobs!

As I've said before we (ie family) are looking to relocate to Germany or CH, as risk-free as possible. I wish I was one of those guys who can just up sticks and go. Mouths to feed...

Another thing is gig starts in July which is a bit odd. Plenty can happen twixt now and then. Still if it comes off be nice to able to plan for it rather than panic.

[BlasterBates]

Sounds good, looks like you may fall foul of the German IR35 rule though, with a long term contract. The pensions dept does check up fairly often. I'm now getting an enquiry on an annual basis. It isn't toooo bad as you don't need to pay the employer's contributions, costs EUR 500 a month. I work in Switzerland so I don't need to pay it, but I'm kind of factoring it in a future contract especially if its longterm. If you have short contracts 6 months or less it isn't a problem.

But anyway take some advice when you get there. Best to go freelance (freiberufler) and churn over the options on paying into the pension scheme, after advice from a German tax accountant. One option is to pay half rate for a couple of years.

[stek]

Sounds good, looks like you may fall foul of the German IR35 rule though, with a long term contract. The pensions dept does check up fairly often. I'm now getting an enquiry on an annual basis. It isn't toooo bad as you don't need to pay the employer's contributions, costs EUR 500 a month. I work in Switzerland so I don't need to pay it, but I'm kind of factoring it in a future contract especially if its longterm. If you have short contracts 6 months or less it isn't a problem.

But anyway take some advice when you get there. Best to go freelance (freiberufler) and churn over the options on paying into the pension scheme, after advice from a German tax accountant. One option is to pay half rate for a couple of years.

Thanks mate, but I should have said we want to relocate permanently, so I don't mind paying into the German system so long as it's a good thing to do! Can't be any worse than UK....

Missus is a fluent German speaker, interpreter/translator and has worked for a year there before so she knows the fun that can be had!