Working Student (m/f/d) – Electronics & Prototyping

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Working Student (m/f/d) – Electronics & Prototyping

Company: RobCo

Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Engineering / Hardware Development

Date Posted: May 05, 2026

Experience Level: Entry Level (0-2 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Support the development and testing of AI-powered robotic systems, focusing on electronics and hardware prototyping.

• Engage in hands-on assembly, functional testing, and debugging of electronic components and test setups.

• Contribute to PCB design, simple embedded software, and detailed documentation of findings.

• Work within a dynamic scale-up environment that emphasizes innovation in industrial automation.

• Develop practical skills with lab equipment and potentially PCB design tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically for a student seeking practical experience in electronics and prototyping within the advanced field of AI-powered robotics. The "Working Student" designation implies a part-time commitment during the academic year, with potential for full-time during breaks, and a focus on learning and development alongside contributing to core engineering tasks.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Assemble and build electronic prototypes and specialized test setups for robotic systems.

• Conduct thorough functional testing and validation of individual hardware components and integrated modules.

• Utilize lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers to investigate and debug technical issues.

• Assist in the design and layout process for small Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

• Contribute to the development of basic embedded software or scripting for testing and validation purposes.

• Meticulously document all test results, technical findings, and troubleshooting steps.

• Collaborate with the senior engineering team to identify areas for improvement in electronic system design and performance.

• Maintain a clean and organized workspace, ensuring proper handling of electronic components and equipment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of practical, hands-on work and foundational engineering contributions. The emphasis on debugging and documentation indicates a need for methodical problem-solving and clear communication of technical details, crucial for any operations or engineering support role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Prior practical experience in electronics assembly and hands-on prototyping is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Strong hands-on aptitude with a genuine interest in building, tinkering, and experimenting with electronics.

• Fundamental understanding of electronic circuits, components, and basic electrical principles.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating proactive problem-solving skills.

• Good attention to detail for accurate assembly and documentation.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with PCB design software such as Altium Designer or KiCad.

• Basic programming skills in languages like Python, C, or C++.

• Familiarity with operating oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers.

• Proven SMD soldering skills.

• Familiarity with microcontrollers and embedded systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice to have" section points towards candidates who can immediately contribute at a higher level. For a working student role, demonstrating a strong willingness to learn and a solid theoretical foundation in electronics is often sufficient, with practical skills being a bonus that accelerates integration and impact.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase examples of personal electronic projects or academic assignments involving circuit design, assembly, or testing.

• Include documentation of any prototyping efforts, detailing challenges encountered and solutions implemented.

• Demonstrate an understanding of structured testing methodologies, even if applied in academic settings.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of documenting experimental setups, test procedures, and results from previous projects.

• Examples of how you approach troubleshooting and systematically identify root causes of technical issues.

• A clear understanding of the importance of version control and organized record-keeping for engineering tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: While a formal "operations portfolio" might not be expected for a student role, candidates should prepare to discuss relevant projects and showcase their problem-solving process. This section is tailored to highlight practical application of skills, akin to a junior engineer's portfolio.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Subsidized Wellpass membership for access to fitness and wellness facilities across Germany.

• Flexible working hours to accommodate academic schedules.

• Access to a modern office environment.

• Regular team events for social interaction and team building.

• Opportunities for professional and personal development through hands-on experience and mentorship.

Working Hours:

• Expected to be approximately 20 hours per week during the academic semester, with the possibility of full-time hours (e.g., 35-40 hours per week) during university breaks or holidays. Specific arrangements will be discussed during the hiring process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary for working student positions in Germany is typically paid hourly and varies based on the industry, location (Munich being a high-cost area), and the student's academic progress. The listed benefits are standard for a tech startup environment in Germany, with the Wellpass being a notable perk.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Industrial Automation, Manufacturing Technology. RobCo operates at the cutting edge of combining AI with physical robotics to create autonomous manufacturing solutions, positioning itself as a leader in Industry 4.0 and beyond.

Company Size: RobCo is a scale-up, indicating a growing team size that likely ranges from 50-200 employees. This size offers a balance between the agility of a startup and the structure of an established company, providing ample opportunities for impact.

Founded: Founded in late 2020, RobCo is a relatively young company, driven by innovation and rapid growth. Its founding in Munich, a hub for technology and engineering, underscores its commitment to cutting-edge development.

Team Structure:

• The Electronics & Prototyping team is likely a part of the broader Hardware Engineering or R&D department.

• Team members will include experienced engineers (Electrical, Mechatronics, Robotics) providing mentorship.

• Collaboration is expected with software engineers, AI specialists, and product managers.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement are core to RobCo's approach.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed for hardware development and prototyping cycles.

• Emphasis on rapid iteration, testing, and feedback loops to accelerate product development.

• A culture of experimentation and learning from both successes and failures.

Company Website: https://www.rob.co

📝 Enhancement Note: As a scale-up in the AI robotics sector, RobCo likely fosters a fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative culture. The "automate the ordinary, so humans can do the extraordinary" slogan suggests a focus on efficiency and enabling human potential through technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at the "Working Student" or "Intern" level, providing foundational experience in hardware engineering and electronics prototyping within a real-world industrial automation context. It's an entry point for students interested in a career in robotics or hardware development.

Reporting Structure: The Working Student will report to a senior engineer or a team lead within the Electronics or Hardware Engineering department. This structure ensures guidance and mentorship, crucial for learning and development.

Operations Impact: While not directly involved in "revenue operations" in the traditional sense, this role contributes to the core product development that drives RobCo's business. Successful prototyping and testing directly impact the quality, functionality, and time-to-market of their AI-powered robotic systems, which in turn fuels their Robotics-as-a-Service model.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of electronics design, PCB layout, embedded systems, or hardware debugging.

• Industry Exposure: Gain invaluable experience in the rapidly growing field of AI robotics and industrial automation.

• Mentorship: Learn from experienced engineers, receiving guidance on technical challenges and career development.

• Potential for Future Roles: Strong performance and demonstrated aptitude could lead to full-time opportunities upon graduation, potentially in areas like hardware engineering, R&D, or operations support roles within RobCo.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a student role, growth is primarily defined by learning and skill acquisition. RobCo's emphasis on rapid growth and scale-up suggests that students who contribute meaningfully may be considered for future opportunities, aligning with the company's talent pipeline development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: RobCo operates from modern office spaces, likely designed to foster collaboration and innovation. Given the hybrid work arrangement, the office will be equipped with labs for hands-on prototyping and testing, alongside collaborative workspaces and meeting rooms.

Office Location(s): The position is based in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. This location is a significant tech and engineering hub, offering access to a vibrant ecosystem of talent and innovation.

Workspace Context:

• Lab Environment: Access to dedicated lab spaces equipped with essential tools like oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, soldering stations, and potentially 3D printers for custom fixtures.

• Collaborative Spaces: Open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and breakout zones designed for team discussions, brainstorming, and project work.

• Technology Access: Provision of necessary hardware, software licenses (e.g., for PCB design), and IT support to facilitate work.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities to interact daily with engineers and team members, fostering a dynamic and supportive work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is flexible, accommodating the student's academic commitments. The role is described as "Full-Time" employment type, but for a "Working Student," this typically translates to a part-time commitment during academic terms (e.g., 20 hours/week) with the option for full-time during breaks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature suggests a balance between focused work in the lab/office and flexibility. For a student role, the emphasis is on providing a conducive environment for learning and contribution, integrating the student into the company's operational workflow.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, motivation, and availability.

• Technical Interview: A discussion with an engineering team member focusing on electronics fundamentals, problem-solving approaches, and experience with relevant tools/concepts. Candidates may be asked to walk through past projects.

• Hands-on Assessment/Case Study: Potentially a small practical task or a discussion around a hypothetical technical problem to evaluate practical skills and thought process. This could involve discussing how they would approach a debugging scenario.

• Team/Cultural Fit Interview: A conversation to assess how well the candidate aligns with RobCo's culture, values, and team dynamics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Relevant Projects: Focus on academic projects, personal electronics builds, or any work involving circuit design, assembly, testing, or debugging.

• Showcase Problem-Solving: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the tools used, the challenges faced, and the outcome. Quantify results where possible.

• Demonstrate Understanding: Be prepared to explain technical concepts clearly and concisely. If discussing PCB design, be ready to talk about layout considerations or component selection.

• Emphasize Documentation: Even if informal, show examples of how you document your work, including schematics, test results, or build logs.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize aspects of your experience that directly relate to prototyping, testing, and debugging electronic systems for robotics.

Challenge Preparation:

• Electronics Fundamentals: Brush up on basic circuit theory, component functions (resistors, capacitors, transistors, ICs), Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's laws.

• Lab Equipment: Understand the basic functions and applications of oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers.

• Troubleshooting Scenarios: Think about how you would systematically diagnose a malfunctioning electronic circuit.

• PCB Design Concepts: If you have experience, be ready to discuss schematic capture, layout considerations (routing, signal integrity basics), and component placement.

• Programming Basics: If you have programming skills, be prepared to discuss simple code snippets related to microcontrollers or testing automation.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a student role, the interview process will focus more on potential, foundational knowledge, and enthusiasm than extensive work history. The portfolio review and challenges will be geared towards assessing practical aptitude and a systematic approach to problem-solving.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Lab Equipment: Oscilloscopes, Multimeters, Power Supplies, Signal Generators, Soldering Stations, ESD-safe workstations.

• Prototyping Tools: Breadboards, prototyping PCBs, wire strippers, crimpers, hand tools.

• Soldering: Manual soldering iron, potentially hot air rework station.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Documentation Tools: Confluence, Jira, or similar for tracking tasks, bugs, and project progress.

• Version Control: Git (for any software aspects).

• Spreadsheets: Excel or Google Sheets for data logging and basic analysis.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this hardware-focused role, but awareness of how hardware integrates into broader product lifecycles managed by CRM/ERP systems is beneficial.

• PCB Design Software (Preferred): Altium Designer, KiCad, Eagle, or similar.

• Programming Environments (Preferred): IDEs for C/C++ (e.g., VS Code with extensions), Python environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core of this role is hands-on with physical hardware and lab equipment. While software tools are secondary, familiarity with design software and basic programming environments significantly enhances a candidate's profile.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A drive to push the boundaries of what's possible in industrial automation through AI and advanced robotics.

• Hands-on Approach: A belief in practical problem-solving and learning through building and experimentation.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and cross-functional support to achieve shared goals.

• Efficiency: A continuous effort to optimize processes, designs, and systems to deliver scalable and effective solutions.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on creating tangible results that directly contribute to the company's mission and customer success.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close work with software, AI, and mechanical engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of hardware and software components.

• Open Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback and knowledge sharing to foster continuous learning and improvement.

• Proactive Communication: Regular updates and clear communication on project status, challenges, and findings to ensure alignment across teams.

• Mentorship & Support: An environment where senior team members actively support and guide junior team members, including working students.

📝 Enhancement Note: RobCo's culture likely reflects that of a fast-paced, ambitious tech scale-up. The emphasis on "automating the ordinary, so humans can do the extraordinary" suggests a value placed on leveraging technology to enhance human capabilities, fostering a team that is both technically proficient and mission-oriented.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Development Cycles: Working in a fast-paced environment means adapting quickly to evolving project requirements and tight deadlines.

• Complex System Integration: Understanding how electronic components interact within a larger robotic system and with AI software presents intricate challenges.

• Problem-Solving Ambiguity: Debugging novel hardware issues in cutting-edge technology can sometimes involve a degree of uncertainty, requiring persistent investigation.

• Balancing Learning and Contribution: As a working student, effectively balancing academic studies with the demands of a professional engineering role requires strong time management.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Practical Skill Acquisition: Gaining hands-on experience with a wide array of electronic components, lab equipment, and prototyping techniques.

• Exposure to Advanced Technologies: Working directly with AI-powered robotics and next-generation industrial automation solutions.

• Industry Best Practices: Learning about hardware development processes, documentation standards, and quality assurance within a professional engineering context.

• Career Exploration: A prime opportunity to explore a career path in hardware engineering, robotics, or related technical fields.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential through practical application and exposure to a high-growth industry. The challenges are framed as learning opportunities within a supportive team environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex electronic circuit you've worked with and explain its function." (Focus on clear explanation of components and their roles).

• "Walk me through your process for debugging a piece of hardware that isn't functioning as expected." (Highlight systematic troubleshooting steps: verification, isolation, testing variables).

• "How do you approach learning a new piece of lab equipment or a new software tool?" (Emphasize resourcefulness, documentation, and practice).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about RobCo and our Autonomous Manufacturing Platform?" (Research the company website, news, and investor information).

• "How do you envision yourself contributing to our engineering team as a working student?" (Focus on your willingness to learn, support, and apply your skills).

• "Describe a time you worked effectively as part of a team to achieve a technical goal." (Use the STAR method to illustrate collaboration and problem-solving).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 Key Projects: Choose projects that best demonstrate your hands-on skills, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of electronics.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, follow a clear structure: Problem, Your Role/Approach, Tools Used, Challenges, Solution/Outcome, Key Learnings.

• Be Ready to Detail Technicals: Prepare to explain schematics, circuit functions, testing methodologies, and any software components.

• Showcase Visuals: Have photos, diagrams, or even short videos of your projects if possible.

• Quantify Impact: If you improved efficiency, reduced errors, or met specific performance metrics, highlight these achievements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong theoretical foundation, a practical, hands-on approach, and a genuine enthusiasm for learning and contributing within the robotics and AI space.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight relevant coursework, academic projects, and any hands-on experience in electronics, prototyping, or lab work. Use keywords from the job description like "electronics," "prototyping," "PCB," "debugging," and "lab equipment."

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Gather examples of relevant projects, documenting your process, challenges, and outcomes. Be ready to discuss these in detail during an interview.

• Research RobCo: Understand their mission, technology (AI-powered robotics, Autonomous Manufacturing Platform), and market position. Familiarize yourself with their values and culture.

• Practice Interview Questions: Prepare to answer technical questions about electronics fundamentals and behavioral questions using the STAR method. Be ready to articulate your learning goals and enthusiasm for the role.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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