Beamter/Beamtin im höheren bautechnischen Dienst

Learning locations include: Educational institutions of public administration (classrooms) and construction administration authorities (offices).

Occupation type: Civil service training; varying career titles in individual Bundesländer (federal states). Training type: Preparatory service, regulated by federal and state ordinances. Duration of preparatory service: Typically 2 years. Minimum requirement for admission to preparatory service: Varies depending on the Bundesland or federal authority (e.g., a completed Master's degree). Learning locations: Educational institutions of public administration, construction administration authorities. Tasks and activities: Civil servants in the higher bautechnischer Dienst (structural engineering service) plan state and municipal construction projects, tender them, and ensure a proper procurement process. For public construction projects, they act as the 'client' and supervise construction execution during the building phase. They are also responsible for the operation and ongoing maintenance of existing buildings and facilities, for example, by providing facility management services. Depending on the type of authority...

Typically 2 years. Depending on the Bundesland (federal state), it may also be 3 years part-time.

In the selection process, personal and professional suitability are usually assessed through written and oral examination components.

The structure of a preparatory service in the higher bautechnischer Dienst (structural engineering service) specializing in 'Hochbau' (building construction) is as follows: Section I: State or municipal building construction office or corresponding public-law corporations (public building construction): 30 weeks. Section II: State or municipal construction administration (building regulations, urban planning, housing and settlement): 25 weeks. Section III: Federal or state middle or supreme authority (service and technical supervision tasks, special tasks): 12 weeks. Home examination work: 6 weeks. Courses: 19 weeks. Total training duration (including 12 weeks of holiday entitlement): 104 weeks (2 years).

Course fees are not charged. Travel expenses or costs for learning materials may arise. Costs for accommodation at the training location may also be incurred.

This vocational training (Ausbildung) covers theoretical and practical content. Topics include general legal and administrative principles, management tasks and economic efficiency, and subject-specific administration and legal regulations. Depending on the specialization, additional topics may include, for example, in the field of structural engineering: public structural engineering (design planning, budget-justified documents, facility management, construction supervision), building regulations (building applications, building permit procedures, acceptances), urban planning, housing and settlement (development planning, land use plan, safeguarding of building planning). In civil engineering, water management specialization, topics include maintenance and operation of waterways and their facilities, preliminary work for construction projects, planning techniques, cost-benefit analyses, technical principles for waterway construction, tasks and organization of the federal states' (Bundesland) water management administration, water management framework planning, and water protection. Mechanical and electrical engineering, with a specialization in mechanical and electrical engineering, is also part of the curriculum.

During the training process, it is important to adapt to specific conditions and requirements. In the theoretical training phases, attending lectures, working independently (preparing and reviewing lectures, researching in libraries, preparing performance assessments), and adhering to organizational rules (e.g., meeting submission deadlines) are expected. In the practical training phases, actively participating in time and cost-conscious project management in a construction authority and developing key competencies such as problem-solving, organization, and leadership are important.

The monthly gross basic salary for a candidate civil servant in federal authorities is 2,624 Euro. For federal state (Bundesland) authorities, an exemplary monthly gross basic salary for a candidate civil servant is 1,726 Euro. This information is based on the Federal Salary Act (Bundesbesoldungsgesetz) and the Federal State Salary Acts. In addition to the basic salary, candidate civil servant remuneration includes capital-forming benefits, and possibly family allowances and other additional allowances, payments, and surcharges.

Entry into this vocational training (Ausbildung) is possible with advanced university (Studium) degrees such as: Architecture (advanced), Civil Engineering (advanced), Electrical Engineering (advanced), Mechanical Engineering (advanced), and Building Services Engineering (advanced).

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for a successful preparatory service: Management/Organization (e.g., to efficiently organize public administration in its area of responsibility) and Employee Leadership and Guidance (e.g., to maintain employee motivation and satisfaction).

The following vocational training (Ausbildung) alternatives are available for the profession of civil servant in the higher bautechnischer Dienst (construction technical service): Law and Administration, Civil Servant in Surveying (higher technical service), Civil Servant in the Federal Defense Administration (higher technical service), Civil Servant in the Industrial Inspectorate Administration (higher technical service). A commonality among these professions is performing auditing and controlling tasks.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) for the higher civil engineering service takes place as a preparatory service. It usually lasts 2 years and is regulated by federal or Bundesland (state) ordinances. The Ausbildung concludes with a Grand State Examination or State Examination. Typically, at least a Masterstudium (master's degree) is required.

This Ausbildung is regulated by federal law and by state law in the mentioned Bundesland's, leading to the following Abschluss (qualification) or Berufsbezeichnungen (job titles): Federal level: Bauassessor/Bauassessorin - specializing in Civil Engineering, Bauassessor/Bauassessorin - specializing in Building Construction, Bauassessor/Bauassessorin - specializing in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria: Regierungsbaumeister/Regierungsbaumeisterin. In Berlin, Brandenburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt: Technischer Assessor/Technische Assessorin. In Hamburg: Assessor/Assessorin - specializing in Architecture, Assessor/Assessorin - specializing in Civil Engineering, Assessor/Assessorin - specializing in Landscape Architecture/Landscape Planning/Land Management, Assessor/Assessorin - specializing in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Assessor/Assessorin - specializing in Urban Planning. In Lower Saxony: Technischer Assessor/Technische Assessorin of Architecture, Technischer Assessor/Technische Assessorin of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

After their Ausbildung, civil servants in the higher civil engineering service find suitable areas of deployment in the building authorities of municipalities, Bundesland's, and the federal government, for example, in building construction or road construction offices. Through Anpassungsweiterbildung (adaptive further training), one keeps their specialized knowledge current or brings it up to date. The range of topics extends from construction technology to facility management. With appropriate aptitude, civil servants in the higher civil engineering service have the opportunity to participate in internal administrative courses for Weiterqualifizierung (further qualification). Taking the step into self-employment is also possible, for example, with an engineering or planning office.

Depending on the federal authority or Bundesland, the following specializations are offered, for example: Building Construction, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Urban and Regional Planning, Road and Structural Engineering, Traffic Management. In some cases, the Ausbildung within the specializations is carried out with specific focuses or fields, for example: Civil Engineering, specialization in Road Engineering; Civil Engineering, specialization in Water Engineering.

The preparatory service for civil service careers is regulated by the federal government and the Bundesland's in their own ordinances. The respective provisions may differ from each other. Federal level: Ordinance on the Career, Ausbildung, and Examination for the Higher Technical Administrative Service of the Federal Government (LAP-htVerwDV), last amended by Article 2 Para. 15 of the Ordinance of 11.03.2026 (BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 67). State level: Ordinance of the Ministry of Transport on the Ausbildung and Examination for the Higher Civil Engineering Administrative Service (Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung für den höheren bautechnischen Verwaltungsdienst - APrOBau hd) of 23.12.2014 (BW.GBl. 2015 S. 52), last amended by Article 3 of the Ordinance of 12.04.2025 (BW.GBl. Nr. 35). Ordinance of the Ministry of Finance on the Ausbildung and Examination for the Higher Civil Engineering Service in Building Construction Administration (Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung höherer bautechnischer Dienst in der Hochbauverwaltung - APrOHochbau hD) of 29.07.2014 (BW.GBl.).

The prerequisite is generally a successfully completed Masterstudium or a recognized equivalent university Abschluss (degree) in a technical field corresponding to the chosen specialization.