My name is Stefan Haase. I joined Rheinmetall in January 2015 after being contacted directly by a headhunter. Since then, I’ve headed the “active protection” product range, which develops active technologies for protected and armoured vehicles. We upgrade passive protection technologies such as ceramic composite armour by adding an electronic protection system, similar to airbags or automatic seatbelt pretensioners in cars. The area is home to development, production and the project managers for the business segment. I currently manage and assess business opportunities in my product range and coordinate and optimise our processes.

The international clientele and the projects are what makes my work exciting, but these also mean it is very demanding at times.

From 1994 to 2006, I was a temporary-career officer in the German Navy. I studied at the Bundeswehr University Munich in the Department of Economics and Management with a focus on controlling and statistics, before being assigned to type 206a submarines as a watch officer. This meant that I was initially trained on sonars, torpedoes and with small crews at extremely close quarters. The technical focus was clearly determined by the submarine system and I went on to have some intense experiences at sea.

Today, the precise knowledge I acquired during my time in the Bundeswehr is of less help to me. Today, my clients come mainly from the land forces environment - unfortunately no navy any more. However, a culture of goal- and decision-oriented work in the project business and some things I learned in the military help me a lot.

I see Rheinmetall as an extremely dynamic company undergoing changes. Our colleagues are highly motivated, show extraordinary commitment and are very personally engaged in their work. I believe many of us really understand how important our products are for security forces around the world. This is a good fit, because project business also means constantly facing competition from tenders.

I was approached by a personnel services company to see if I could imagine working in the HR department of a defence company because of my military past and my last job. That's how I joined Rheinmetall. I work here in the central recruiting department with a focus on military affairs.

Among other things, I deal with the active search for suitable candidates in social media to make them aware of our vacancies and career opportunities. In addition to this, I assist with career fair visits and various projects, e.g. together with the BFD, Dienstzeitende or other organisations.

Especially in the defence sector there are always opportunities to recruit former soldiers. Of course it helps when you’re already familiar with how the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) is structured and can communicate with potential candidates on the same wavelength. It’s also useful if you know your way around the military’s standard “vocabulary”, as lots of the terms used aren’t common in civilian life and are unfamiliar to people without military experience.

I’m a trained IT sergeant and last served as a section commander in a bi-national unit in the Netherlands, where I was responsible for telecommunication and general military training.

I started working for the German Armed Forces in 2004 as a junior non-commissioned officer and after a few years I decided that I wanted to take on more responsibility. Following this, I applied to transfer to the position of sergeant in the special service.

At Rheinmetall, compared to many other companies, I can contribute my experience from the Bundeswehr. I work in a very dynamic team in which everyone brings different experience to the table. If you have questions, there is always someone who has the knowledge and is willing to help.