The FfE-Spirit - Researching current topics in the energy industry in an open, creative working environment

Our common goal - research for a sustainable energy system

A welcoming, comfortable working atmosphere, flat hierarchies, and a wide range of opportunities for professional and private exchange are particularly important to us.
At the FfE, we promote a comfortable, informal atmosphere both between employees and during frequent communication with the management team. Functions and competencies are defined by roles rather than hierarchical structures. This means that everyone always has an open ear and keeps one another up to date via regular meetings – both live and virtual.
We also practice what we preach. With our own „FfEnergiewende“, we actively contribute to climate protection with various measures.

How we work together

The variety of tasks at the FfE is very large, because the projects are oriented towards the most current topics in the energy industry, energy policy, and climate protection. At the FfE, we conduct research at the highest level. New staff members are guided and trained by project managers and our internal subject experts. Through this efficient insight into our current research projects, employees experience, according to their own statements, a “steep learning curve”. After one year, they can usually take on responsibility for their own project. Since everyone is always involved in several projects at the same time, but with different roles, there is close networking at the professional and organisational level.

Each individual contributes to the future direction of the FfE. Own innovative research ideas are expected and encouraged – we do not want to put any limits on creativity. Core times are required to ensure regular communication among teams – but these are limited to only a small part of the working day. Beyond that, we give employees the freedom they need. We have had very good experiences with home office. Care is always taken to ensure that more intensive project-related work phases are followed by more relaxed ones. Through regular employee surveys and close networking between the employee organization and management, we achieve a high level of overall satisfaction while at the same time providing excellent research work.

Our workplaces are equipped with modern technology. In addition to a laptop, we usually have two monitors, a headset and a camera. Orthopaedic health is taken care of by very high quality and versatile adjustable office chairs as well as electric height-adjustable desks.

Ideal start to a career in the energy industry

The work on the FfE’s research projects also brings employees into contact with a wide range of personalities from research, business and politics. In addition to the transfer of knowledge via conferences, which is common in a scientific context, we offer a wide variety of training courses and internal seminars for further professional and, in particular, organisational development. The FfE is a good place to start a career in the energy industry. Plans to pursue a PhD are supported and actively encouraged. A large number of commercial enterprises are involved in our research projects as partners. These opportunities to network with a wide variety of people at all levels in these companies can ease the transition into a new role when the time at the FfE draws to a close.

Thanks to the open and innovative spirit of our staff, we conduct research at the highest scientific level. In a multi-stage onboarding process, we base our decision for new colleagues solely on their professional expertise and their always highly motivated willingness to learn, completely independent of gender and origin. In this way, we have been able to create a diversified FfE team over the last few years, not only on a professional level, but also as broadly as possible in terms of scientific disciplines as well as socially.

Balance through sport and play

Social and sporting events such as running clubs (FfE-Run), beach volleyball (GiraFFEn), table tennis, table football, Schafkopf tournaments, skiing, cooking clubs, barbecue events, company outings, joint visits to the Oktoberfest and much more offer many opportunities for personal exchange. In summer, a swim in the lake around the corner is guaranteed to cool you down.