CV Development Engineer: Example and Template
This is how you show in two pages which products you brought from the requirements list through to series production release.
Currently 24 open Development Engineer positions in Switzerland, across 7 cantons, 5 of them from the last 7 days. cross-ING AG advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
Which qualification belongs on a CV as a Development Engineer?
State the qualification exactly in its Swiss designation - BSc FH, MSc ETH or Dipl. Ing. HTL - and add the specialisation and focus area.
In Switzerland, several paths lead into development work: a Bachelor of Science FH in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering or Electrical Engineering at a university of applied sciences such as ZHAW, FHNW, HSLU or OST, an MSc from ETH Zurich or EPFL, or an older title such as Ing. HTL. Write the designation exactly as it appears on the diploma, and add the specialisation and focus area (for example product development, mechatronics, plastics technology). If you hold a vocational apprenticeship as Polymechaniker EFZ, Konstrukteur EFZ or Automatiker EFZ, be sure to keep it on your CV: many Swiss development departments value the manufacturing proximity this brings.
If you studied abroad, a note on recognition should be included. For engineering degrees, obtain a level confirmation from swissuniversities or the ENIC Switzerland office and note it in brackets, for example 'Dipl.-Ing. (FH), level confirmation swissuniversities 2023, equivalent to BSc FH'. This saves the HR department follow-up questions and prevents your CV from being sorted out at the first screening.
More important than the title alone are proven professional competencies. That's why you should list further training with a clear link to development work: FMEA moderation according to VDA/AIAG, Six Sigma Green Belt, courses on machine safety according to EN ISO 12100 and the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, regulatory basics on MDR 2017/745 or ISO 13485, as well as CAD and simulation certificates. This way, the reader recognises within seconds whether you fit into their standards and process environment.
How do you present projects and professional experience convincingly?
Describe the product context for each position along with three to four results with figures on cost, time, quality and unit volumes.
A task list like 'design of components' says nothing. Instead, add two lines of context under each position: product type, industry, annual unit volume, team size, regulatory environment. Then follow the results: manufacturing costs reduced from CHF 412 to CHF 268 per unit, time-to-market shortened by 5 months, field failures reduced from 1.9 to 0.55 percent, initial certification according to IEC 60601-1 without re-testing. These key figures are the currency in which development managers think.
Make visible how far you work in the product lifecycle. Many applicants stop at the functional model stage; what is sought are people who know verification and validation, initial sample inspection reports, process approvals at suppliers, change management (ECR/ECO) and series support. Name your tools and methods concretely - Siemens NX with Teamcenter, SolidWorks PDM, Ansys Mechanical, Polarion, Minitab, DoE, GPS tolerancing according to ISO 1101 - and in which project you applied them.
Add a short section with reference projects, patents or publications if you have any. Mention Innosuisse projects or collaborations with Empa, CSEM or a university of applied sciences, provided you don't breach confidentiality. For customer projects subject to confidentiality, write in anonymised form, for example 'Tier 1 supplier to the watch industry, 12'000 units per year' - this remains meaningful and accurate.
How long should the CV be, is a photo needed, and what is the Swiss standard?
Two pages, photo common but optional, plus work references, diploma copies and - if necessary - residence status.
Stick to two pages; with over 15 years of experience and many projects, three pages are acceptable if every line has substance. Proven structure: contact details, brief profile in three sentences, core competencies and tools, work experience in reverse chronological order, education, further training, languages, publications if applicable. Avoid standard phrases like 'team player and resilient' - instead write that you provided technical leadership for a development team of 9 people.
A professional portrait photo remains common in Switzerland and is usually expected for direct applications, but it is optional. Year of birth, nationality and, for non-EU nationals, the permit type (B, C or G) belong in the header, as they simplify the recruitment process. State your place of residence with canton and, if you are flexible regarding workplace location and commuting distance, add a brief note about it.
A complete application file includes a cover letter, CV, work references from all relevant positions and diploma copies - in Switzerland, interim and final references are standard practice and are actually read. Adapt your brief profile and skills list to the job posting and adopt its terminology word for word so that ATS systems also find you. State a salary expectation only if requested; realistic ranges for experienced development engineers, depending on region and industry, are between CHF 100'000 and CHF 135'000 per year, and around CHF 85'000 for entry-level positions.
Where Development Engineer are hired in Switzerland
How the 24 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Thurgau | 2 |
| Solothurn | 2 |
| Zug | 1 |
| Basel-Stadt | 1 |
| Zürich | 1 |
| Luzern | 1 |
| Bern | 1 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 22 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| German | 22 (22) |
| English | 9 (5) |
| French | 1 (0) |
Who hires Development Engineer in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| cross-ING AG | 2 |
| Leister | 1 |
| Aebi Schmidt Schweiz | 1 |
| Aebi Schmidt Group | 1 |
| PSI Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis (LEA) | 1 |
| Alpen-Maykestag | 1 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 24 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Lukas Brunner
Senior Development Engineer Mechatronics, MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering
Development engineer with 12 years of experience in product development of precision mechanics and mechatronic systems for medical technology and drive technology. I lead projects along the V-model from requirements analysis through verification and validation to series production release (SOP), working in compliance with ISO 13485, ISO 14971 and EN ISO 12100. My strength lies in combining FEM design, Design for Manufacturing and close collaboration with Swiss suppliers in machining, injection moulding and sheet metal processing.
What sets me apart
From prototype to series production, not just a functional model: I have led 18 products through to series production release, including initial sample inspection reports (ISIR), process approval at the supplier and PFMEA - as a result, ramp-up costs in the last five projects were on average 22 percent below budget.
Simulation backed by test bench data: I systematically correlate FEM models in Ansys Mechanical with measurements from my own test benches; for lifetime predictions I achieved a deviation of under 8 percent versus endurance testing over 2 million cycles.
Standard-compliant documentation without project delay: I create technical files according to MDR 2017/745 and risk files according to ISO 14971 in parallel with development; the last audit by a notified body resulted in 0 major findings with 3 minor observations.
Cost-conscious design with Swiss manufacturing depth: Through GPS tolerancing according to ISO 1101 and value analysis workshops with three suppliers, I reduced the manufacturing cost of a dosing unit from CHF 412 to CHF 268 per unit at an annual volume of 12'000 units.
Key achievements
New product platform brought to series release in 14 months. Developed a platform for precision dosing systems with 4 variants from 68 percent common parts; shortened time-to-market by 5 months and achieved annual revenue of CHF 3.4 million in the first year of series production.
Field failures reduced by 71 percent. Conducted root cause analysis (Ishikawa, 8D) on a linear actuator with a 1.9 percent return rate, revised the bearing concept and seal seat - return rate dropped to 0.55 percent, reducing warranty costs by CHF 420'000 per year.
Development process converted to V-model and ALM. Introduced requirements management in Polarion for 5 project teams; shortened verification evidence documentation from 3 weeks to 4 days and reduced engineering change requests (ECR) by 34 percent.
Experience
Senior Development Engineer Mechatronics — Helvetronik Precision AG, Zug, 03/2020 - present
Development of dosing and drive modules for medical technology customers, team of 9 engineers, ISO 13485 and MDR 2017/745 environment, annual volume of 45'000 units.
- Technical leadership of 6 series projects with a total development budget of CHF 2.8 million, all completed within +/- 6 percent budget deviation
- Reduced manufacturing costs of the core assembly by 35 percent through DFM redesign and conversion from a milled part to injection moulding (tooling cost amortised after 11 months)
- Coordinated IEC 60601-1 and EMC testing according to EN 61000-6 with an external test laboratory: initial certification without re-testing for 3 of 4 products
- Introduced a design review standard with checklists; reduced late design changes after design freeze by 41 percent
Development Engineer, Product Development — Vallis Medtech AG, Visp, 08/2016 - 02/2020
Product development of single-use applicators and reusable handpieces, class IIa classification, close collaboration with Regulatory Affairs and production.
- Worked on 12 design projects in Siemens NX with the Teamcenter approval process, created and released over 480 drawings with GPS tolerancing
- Responsible for the DFMEA and ISO 14971 risk file for 4 product families; reduced 37 risks with an RPN above 100 to an acceptable level
- Carried out validation of an ultrasonic welding process using DoE in Minitab: reduced scrap from 4.2 to 0.8 percent, shortened cycle time by 1.4 seconds
- Co-inventor of an EPO patent application for a self-adjusting sealing concept
Calculation and Design Engineer — Thurmatic Antriebstechnik AG, Frauenfeld, 09/2012 - 07/2016
Design of gears and linear axes for mechanical engineering, CE conformity according to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and EN ISO 12100.
- Carried out over 60 FEM analyses (static, non-linear, thermal) in Ansys and reduced component weights by an average of 17 percent
- Built and commissioned a test bench for lifetime testing: reduced test costs per series by CHF 38'000 compared to external testing
- Created conformity documentation and operating instructions for 9 machine series according to EN ISO 12100, shortening creation time per series from 12 to 7 days
- Introduced a modular gear kit with 5 ratio stages, reducing lead time for standard orders from 8 to 5 weeks
Education
Master of Science ETH, Mechanical Engineering, focus on Product Development and Design — ETH Zurich · 2012
Bachelor of Science FH, Mechanical Engineering — ZHAW School of Engineering, Winterthur · 2010
Federal VET Diploma (EFZ), Polymechaniker EFZ, specialisation in Production Technology — Vocational school and training company, Thurgau · 2006
Six Sigma Green Belt (SAQ-certified), 2021 · FMEA moderator according to the VDA/AIAG handbook, 2019 · Specialist course Machine Safety: Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and EN ISO 12100, Swissmem Academy, 2015 · Ansys Mechanical: Nonlinear Structural Analysis, 2018
Common questions
- What language should I write my CV in as a Development Engineer?
- 100% of the adverts are in German — write the CV in German unless the advert itself is in English.
- Where in Switzerland are Development Engineer most in demand?
- Spread out, Thurgau first at 8%, then Solothurn and Zug. Across a language border, apply with the matching version.
- What language level do Development Engineer adverts ask for?
- German in 100% of adverts that state a requirement, 100% of them at professional level. "Good knowledge" will not do — give A2 to C2.
- Are Development Engineer roles offered full or part time?
- 100% full time, only 0% part time. If you need part time, say so early rather than leaving it open.
- Who hires Development Engineer in Switzerland?
- Currently cross-ING AG, Leister, Aebi Schmidt Schweiz, among others. Their adverts are the best word list for your own CV.