Mechanical Engineer CV: Example and Template
A complete Swiss CV example for mechanical engineers in special-purpose machinery, medical technology and drive technology - with standards, key figures and CAD landscape.
Currently 32 open Mechanical Engineer positions in Switzerland, across 3 cantons, 5 of them from the last 7 days. Kanadevia Inova 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.
Check your CV against real Swiss job adverts
The check compares your CV with what Swiss adverts actually ask for — structure, language level, missing evidence.
Check my CVWhat qualification is expected for a Mechanical Engineer in Switzerland?
Common qualifications are a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from a university of applied sciences, an MSc from ETH Zurich or EPFL, or a Techniker HF Maschinenbau qualification - often building on an EFZ as a design engineer or polymechanic.
Write the qualification exactly as it appears on the diploma, including the institution and year: 'BSc FHNW Mechanical Engineering, 2014' or 'Techniker HF Maschinenbau, ABB Technikerschule, 2018'. If you took the classic Swiss path - EFZ as a design engineer, followed by a part-time FH degree - make sure to keep the apprenticeship on your CV: many SMEs in mechanical and plant engineering value this proximity to manufacturing and read it as evidence that you can derive a drawing that is manufacturable.
For a foreign diploma, state the recognition status directly on your CV, for example 'swissuniversities level confirmation applied for' or 'SBFI recognition obtained'. Also add your permit status (C permit, B permit, EU/EFTA), as HR departments in industry need this information early on. Without it, the application is often set aside rather than reviewed.
Technical further education carries more weight than general courses in this profession. Be specific: CE Coordinator Machine Safety, Welding Engineer (SVS), calculation courses in Ansys or Abaqus, GPS/GD&T training, Six Sigma via the Swissmem Kaderschule, or further training in plastics technology. These titles signal which body of standards you master: Machinery Directive, Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU, or ISO 13485 in medical technology.
How do I present professional experience and projects as a mechanical engineer?
For each position, describe the product, batch size and your role in the development process - and back up every task with figures such as cycle time, weight, unit cost or scrap rate.
Start by giving the technical context: is it special-purpose machinery in batch size 1, series products with 200'000 units per year, pressure vessels, or medical devices? Name the materials and processes (welded construction in S355, injection moulding in PC/ABS, precision machining with IT7) as well as your position in the V-model: requirements analysis, concept, detailed design, verification, series ramp-up. Recruiters in mechanical engineering can tell within 20 seconds whether your profile matches the role.
Phrase achievements as results, not activities. Instead of 'design of assemblies', write 'redesigned gripper assembly: cycle time from 42 to 56 cycles/minute, manufacturing cost -CHF 3'200 per unit'. Useful figures include cycle time, efficiency, weight, stiffness, manufacturing cost in CHF, scrap rate, number of released drawings, on-time delivery in projects, and the number of design engineers or suppliers managed.
Separate CAD skills from methodological competence. Name the systems along with your depth of use (Siemens NX for large assemblies with over 4'000 parts, SolidWorks PDM for change management, Teamcenter or SAP for bills of materials), and alongside them the methods: FMEA, tolerance chain calculation, FEA verification, 8D, value analysis. If you have created CE documentation or signed off risk assessments, this belongs prominently in your profile - in Switzerland, this responsibility is a clear differentiator.
How long should the CV be, and is a photo needed?
Two pages is the standard, and a professional portrait photo is still customary in Switzerland and expected by most industrial employers.
Keep it to two pages: profile, competencies with standards and CAD systems, three to four positions in detail, older positions as a single line each, then education, further training and languages. With more than 15 years of experience, up to three pages is acceptable, provided every line carries technical content. List publications, patents or test bench reports at the end - for patents, include the number and year.
A photo in business attire, neutrally taken, belongs in the top right. Add your place of residence, nationality or permit status, year of birth, driving licence category B if travel to customers and commissioning is part of the role, and your availability including notice period. Details on marital status or religion are not necessary. State your salary expectations only if explicitly requested, then as a range, for example CHF 105'000 to CHF 118'000 gross per year.
Submit a complete dossier as a single PDF file: cover letter, CV, reference letters, diplomas and - if available - the level confirmation. Name the file clearly, e.g. 'Brunner_Lukas_CV_MechanicalEngineer.pdf'. Tailor your profile to the role: a plant engineering company wants to read about machine safety and welded construction, a medtech company about ISO 13485, design history file and cleanroom suitability, and a drive manufacturer about gearing, bearing calculation and test bench experience.
Where Mechanical Engineer are hired in Switzerland
How the 32 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Waadt | 4 |
| Zürich | 4 |
| Schwyz | 1 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 19 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| English | 17 (13) |
| German | 8 (4) |
| French | 2 (0) |
Who hires Mechanical Engineer in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| Kanadevia Inova | 4 |
| Rivr | 4 |
| Harmattan AI | 4 |
| CERN | 3 |
| NEURA Robotics | 2 |
| Lonza | 1 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 15 |
| Temporär | 1 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Lukas Brunner
Mechanical Engineer / Design Project Lead, MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineer with 11 years of experience in product development for special-purpose machinery, medical devices and drive components. I lead projects from the requirements list through concept, FEA verification and tolerance concept to CE documentation and series ramp-up. Most recently responsible for 9 product lines with a development budget of CHF 1.4 million and a team of 6 design engineers.
What sets me apart
Design with cost responsibility: I evaluate every variant against manufacturing cost: DFM/DFA workshops with machining, sheet metal and injection moulding reduced material costs per unit by CHF 12'400 (-18%).
Compliant through to the declaration of conformity: Risk assessment per EN ISO 12100, performance level per EN ISO 13849-1 and technical documentation per Annex VII - 3 SVTI inspections without findings.
Calculate, don't guess: Static, non-linear and fatigue calculations in Ansys (verification per FKM guideline); 14 welded structures made 22% lighter with the same stiffness.
Series ramp-up and supplier management: First-sample approvals, measurement reports per ISO 1101 and 8D processing with suppliers in Switzerland, Germany and Slovenia - 96% first-pass approval rate on drawings.
Key achievements
Cycle time of a packaging station increased by 33%. New cam and gripper concept increased throughput from 42 to 56 cycles per minute; additional revenue of CHF 480'000 in the first year after market launch.
Unit cost of a disposable applicator reduced from CHF 4.80 to CHF 3.10. Reduced from 11 to 6 injection-moulded parts including a new tolerance chain; annual savings of CHF 340'000 at 200'000 units.
Scrap rate in final assembly reduced from 4.2% to 0.9%. Tolerance chain analysis per ISO 286 and ISO 1101 plus process FMEA with production; rework hours reduced by 620 per year.
Experience
Senior Mechanical Engineer / Design Project Lead — Helvetronic Systems AG, Winterthur, since 03/2020
Special-purpose machinery for packaging and assembly systems, 240 employees, 70% export share; leadership of 6 design engineers, development budget CHF 1.4 million.
- New development of a packaging station: cycle time from 42 to 56 cycles/minute (+33%), 12 systems sold in the first year
- Reduced material costs per system by CHF 12'400 (-18%) through a standard-parts strategy, sheet-metal design instead of machined parts, and 8 DFM workshops
- Created CE documentation for 9 product lines (2006/42/EC, EN ISO 12100, EN ISO 13849-1 PL d) - 3 SVTI acceptance inspections without findings
- FEA verification for 14 welded frames per FKM guideline: weight -22%, deflection under 0.15 mm at 3.5 t payload
Mechanical Engineer, Medical Technology Product Development — AlpinaMed Devices AG, Solothurn, 08/2016 - 02/2020
Development of disposable products and hand instruments under ISO 13485 and MDR, ISO 8 cleanroom manufacturing, series of 200'000 units per year.
- Reduced disposable applicator from 11 to 6 injection-moulded parts: unit cost from CHF 4.80 to CHF 3.10, annual savings of CHF 340'000
- Design verification with 38 test protocols per ISO 13485 and risk management per EN ISO 14971 - recertification audit with no major findings
- Tolerance chain analysis per ISO 286 and ISO 1101 reduced assembly scrap from 4.2% to 0.9%
- Relocated 3 injection moulds to suppliers in CH and DE: lead time -5 weeks, tooling costs -CHF 46'000
Development and Calculation Engineer — Rheinbogen Antriebstechnik GmbH, Basel, 09/2013 - 07/2016
Planetary and helical gear units for industrial drives, batch sizes 50 to 2'000 units; test bench with 4 measurement stations.
- Led a test bench campaign of 1'200 operating hours and validated bearing life per ISO 281 (L10h > 20'000 h)
- New fit and heat-treatment concept: field complaints reduced by 35% within 18 months
- Created 240 manufacturing drawings in Siemens NX, 96% first-pass approval rate
- Increased gearbox efficiency from 94.1% to 96.3% through optimised gear tooth geometry
Education
Master of Science ETH, Mechanical Engineering, specialisation in Product Development and Design — ETH Zurich · 2013
Bachelor of Science FHNW/ZHAW, Mechanical Engineering — ZHAW School of Engineering, Winterthur · 2011
Eidgenössisches Fähigkeitszeugnis (EFZ), Design Engineer — Vocational School Winterthur · 2007
CE Coordinator Machine Safety (course per 2006/42/EC and EN ISO 12100) · Six Sigma Green Belt, Swissmem Kaderschule · Ansys Mechanical: Advanced Structural Nonlinearities · Project Management IPMA Level C
Common questions
- What language should I write my CV in as a Mechanical Engineer?
- 84% of the adverts are in English — write the CV in English unless the advert itself is in German.
- Where in Switzerland are Mechanical Engineer most in demand?
- Spread out, Vaud first at 13%, then Zurich and Schwyz. Across a language border, apply with the matching version.
- What language level do Mechanical Engineer adverts ask for?
- English in 89% of adverts that state a requirement, but only 76% want professional level. Solid basics, honestly stated, often suffice.
- Are Mechanical 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 Mechanical Engineer in Switzerland?
- Currently Kanadevia Inova, Rivr, Harmattan AI, among others. Their adverts are the best word list for your own CV.