Key Takeaways
- DATAGROUP runs a custom careers portal at datagroup.de/karriere rather than a third-party SaaS ATS. Apply through the Jetzt bewerben button on the posting page; speculative applications go to a separate Initiativbewerbung form.
- The company is a German Mittelstand IT services provider, not a global consulting firm and not a pure cloud hyperscaler. The flagship product is CORBOX, a modular managed services platform covering workplace, server, network, security, cloud, SAP, and Microsoft 365.
- Headquarters is Pliezhausen in Baden-Wuerttemberg near Stuttgart, with about nineteen additional German locations including Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Dresden, plus a Vienna office for the Austrian business and Swiss operations.
- Andreas Baresel has been CEO since 2008 and has shaped the current acquire-integrate-onto-CORBOX strategy. The shares trade in Frankfurt under ticker D6H in the Scale segment of Deutsche Boerse.
- Working language at headquarters and across most delivery teams is German. Verhandlungssicheres Deutsch is genuinely required for most roles. A subset of cloud, Microsoft 365, AI, and senior architecture roles is open to candidates with strong English and conversational German.
- The SAP services franchise, including S/4HANA migrations, is one of the largest and most profitable parts of the group. Microsoft 365 and cloud transformation services are growing fastest, and an AI managed services proposition launched in 2024 to 2025.
- German Bewerbungsunterlagen norms apply: a tabular Lebenslauf, a real Anschreiben, school and university Zeugnisse, and Arbeitszeugnisse from previous employers. A complete first submission outperforms a strong CV with missing supporting documents.
- The Ausbildung pipeline is strong and is a primary entry route for technical staff. Fachinformatiker Systemintegration, Fachinformatiker Anwendungsentwicklung, IT-Systemkaufmann, Kaufmann fuer IT-System-Management, and dual-study programmes with partner universities all feed into permanent roles.
- The company operates within German labour law including works councils and co-determination, and IG Metall plays a role in collective bargaining and working-time discussions in parts of the sector context. Treat works councils as normal scaffolding, not as obstacles.
- Interviews are calm, structured, and substantive. Expect a recruiter screen, a hiring manager and technical lead second round, and for senior roles a leadership round often combined with an in-person visit to Pliezhausen or the regional office.
About Datagroup SE
Application Process
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1
Start at the corporate site at datagroup
Start at the corporate site at datagroup.de and follow the Karriere link in the main navigation. The careers area is a custom-built portal on the same domain rather than a third-party SaaS ATS, which means the candidate experience and URL structure are controlled by DATAGROUP itself and may differ from what you are used to with Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or Greenhouse-based portals.
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2
Use the Stellensuche search interface to filter open positions by Standort (loca
Use the Stellensuche search interface to filter open positions by Standort (location), Bereich (function or business area), and Karrierelevel (career level). The most populated locations are Pliezhausen as the headquarters, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dresden, and Vienna, with smaller offices spread across Germany. The most populated functional areas are CORBOX delivery (workplace, server, network), SAP services, Microsoft 365 and cloud services, security, sales and account management, and the Ausbildung apprentice and dual-study tracks.
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3
Read the job posting carefully in the original German
Read the job posting carefully in the original German. The vast majority of postings are written in German because the working language at the headquarters and across most delivery teams is German, and the postings often distinguish between Muttersprachliche Deutschkenntnisse, Verhandlungssicheres Deutsch, and Gute Deutschkenntnisse. Treat that distinction as a real signal of the language demand of the role, not as boilerplate. A subset of cloud, Microsoft 365, AI, and senior architecture roles is open to candidates with strong English and conversational German, and those postings will say so explicitly.
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4
Click Jetzt bewerben on the posting and complete the application form
Click Jetzt bewerben on the posting and complete the application form. The form asks for your contact details, a structured CV, a motivation letter (Anschreiben), references, certificates (Zeugnisse), and any relevant qualifications such as SAP certifications, Microsoft certifications, ITIL, ISO 27001, or Cisco credentials. German hiring practice expects a complete Bewerbungsunterlagen package: CV, Anschreiben, school leaving certificate (Abitur or equivalent), university degree certificates, and reference letters from previous employers (Arbeitszeugnisse).
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5
Upload documents as PDF
Upload documents as PDF. The portal accepts a single combined PDF or separate files; combined is cleaner for the recruiter. Name your files clearly with your surname and the document type, for example Mustermann_Lebenslauf.pdf, Mustermann_Anschreiben.pdf, Mustermann_Zeugnisse.pdf.
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6
If you are applying through Initiativbewerbung (speculative application) rather
If you are applying through Initiativbewerbung (speculative application) rather than to a specific opening, use the dedicated Initiativbewerbung form on the careers site and indicate clearly which functional area and which location you are interested in. Speculative applications are taken seriously at DATAGROUP because the organisation is constantly absorbing acquired companies and growing into new contracts, but they are routed by area, so a generic speculative application without a stated area is the weakest version of this approach.
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7
Submit and check for the confirmation email
Submit and check for the confirmation email. DATAGROUP confirms receipt by email and typically follows up within one to three weeks for a first conversation if the profile matches. The recruiting team in Pliezhausen is the central coordinator, with regional recruiters at the larger locations supporting hiring for those sites.
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8
If you are applying to an Ausbildung position as Fachinformatiker Systemintegrat
If you are applying to an Ausbildung position as Fachinformatiker Systemintegration, Fachinformatiker Anwendungsentwicklung, IT-Systemkaufmann or Kaufmann fuer IT-System-Management, follow the Ausbildung section of the careers site rather than the general search. Ausbildung intakes follow the German academic calendar with applications opening roughly twelve to eighteen months before the August or September start date, and the strongest candidates apply early in the autumn for the following year.
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9
For dual study (duales Studium) candidates, the partner universities and Berufsa
For dual study (duales Studium) candidates, the partner universities and Berufsakademien are listed in the Ausbildung area. The application combines DATAGROUP's selection process with the academic admission process at the partner institution, and both have to succeed.
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10
Track next steps through email rather than through a portal dashboard
Track next steps through email rather than through a portal dashboard. Unlike third-party ATS platforms that surface application status in a candidate area, the DATAGROUP custom portal is lighter on candidate self-service, so the recruiter email thread is the source of truth.
Resume Tips for Datagroup SE
Submit a Lebenslauf in the German tabular format unless the posting is in Englis
Submit a Lebenslauf in the German tabular format unless the posting is in English and explicitly invites a CV. The standard Lebenslauf is reverse-chronological, two pages, with clearly labelled sections for Personliche Daten, Berufserfahrung, Ausbildung, Weiterbildungen und Zertifikate, IT-Kenntnisse, Sprachkenntnisse, and optionally Engagement or Interessen. A photograph is still customary in Germany although it is no longer legally required, and DATAGROUP recruiters will not penalise either choice.
State your German language level honestly using the CEFR scale (A1 through C2) o
State your German language level honestly using the CEFR scale (A1 through C2) or the German equivalents (Grundkenntnisse, Gute Kenntnisse, Verhandlungssicher, Muttersprache). Inflated language claims are caught quickly in the first conversation and damage trust. If a role calls for Verhandlungssicheres Deutsch and you are at B2, say B2 and make a clear case for why the role still works for you.
Lead the IT-Kenntnisse section with the technologies the posting actually names
Lead the IT-Kenntnisse section with the technologies the posting actually names. For a CORBOX workplace role that means Microsoft 365, Intune, Autopilot, Active Directory, Entra ID, Windows 11, and ITIL. For a CORBOX server or network role that means VMware, Hyper-V, Veeam, Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Linux. For an SAP role that means S/4HANA, SAP Basis, HANA database administration, Solution Manager, ABAP if relevant, and Fiori. For a security role that means ISO 27001, BSI Grundschutz, SIEM platforms, and the specific tools (Sentinel, QRadar, Splunk) you have operated. For an AI managed services role name Microsoft Copilot, Azure OpenAI, and the governance frameworks you have worked with.
Cite German certifications correctly
Cite German certifications correctly. SAP certifications such as SAP Certified Application Associate or SAP Certified Technology Associate, Microsoft certifications by their current names (Azure Administrator Associate, Microsoft 365 Certified Enterprise Administrator Expert), ITIL 4 Foundation or higher, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor or Lead Implementer, BSI Grundschutz Praktiker, Cisco CCNA or CCNP, and Fortinet NSE levels are all credentials recruiters at DATAGROUP recognise on sight. Write the issuing body and year for each one.
List Arbeitszeugnisse references at the bottom of the Lebenslauf and attach the
List Arbeitszeugnisse references at the bottom of the Lebenslauf and attach the actual Zeugnisse as separate PDFs. German recruiters read Zeugnisse carefully, and the absence of a Zeugnis from a recent role is itself a signal. If you do not yet have a Zeugnis from your current employer, say so explicitly (Zwischenzeugnis kann auf Anfrage nachgereicht werden).
For Ausbildung applications, include your most recent school certificates (Zeugn
For Ausbildung applications, include your most recent school certificates (Zeugnisse), your school subjects and grades in mathematics, English, German, and any IT or computer science subjects, and any relevant Praktikum experience or hobby projects. A short paragraph in the Anschreiben explaining why you chose Fachinformatiker over IT-Systemkaufmann, or vice versa, lands very well with the Ausbildungsleitung.
For experienced hires moving from a competitor (Bechtle, Cancom, Atos Deutschlan
For experienced hires moving from a competitor (Bechtle, Cancom, Atos Deutschland, T-Systems, Computacenter, NTT DATA Deutschland, All for One, Adesso, msg), name the relevant CORBOX-equivalent service lines, customer industries, contract sizes, and your specific scope (technical lead, service delivery manager, project manager, architect). Quantify by managed users, server count, contract value range if you can disclose it, ticket volume, and SLA performance against target.
Quantify operational scope wherever possible
Quantify operational scope wherever possible. For a managed services candidate, that means workstations under management, servers operated, customers served, ticket throughput, mean time to resolve, customer satisfaction scores, and renewal rates on contracts you helped operate. Generic phrases such as Verantwortlich fuer Betrieb der IT-Infrastruktur are weaker than Betrieb einer hybriden Microsoft-365-Umgebung mit 4.500 Anwendern und 180 Servern fuer einen Mittelstandskunden im Maschinenbau, ITIL-konform, Erreichungsquote 99,7 Prozent gegen Service Level.
Keep formatting clean and parsable
Keep formatting clean and parsable. A single column, standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Open Sans), consistent date formatting (MM/JJJJ - MM/JJJJ or Monat Jahr - Monat Jahr), and standard German section headings will move through the DATAGROUP portal and any internal screening tooling without trouble. Avoid icon-heavy modern templates, two-column layouts, and graphics-based skill bars; recruiters skim for content, not visual flourish.
Write a real Anschreiben
Write a real Anschreiben. The motivation letter is not optional and not boilerplate in German hiring. One page, addressed to the named contact in the posting where given, with a paragraph each on why DATAGROUP, why this specific role, why this specific location, and what you bring. A copy-pasted Anschreiben that does not name the function or the location is the single fastest way to be screened out.
If you are applying from outside the EU, mark your work authorisation status cle
If you are applying from outside the EU, mark your work authorisation status clearly in the Lebenslauf or Anschreiben. DATAGROUP does sponsor visas and Blue Cards for shortage occupations and senior technical profiles where the case is clear, but recruiters appreciate knowing up front whether sponsorship is required.
ATS System: DATAGROUP custom careers portal (datagroup.de/karriere)
DATAGROUP runs its careers experience on a custom portal hosted on its own corporate domain at datagroup.de/karriere rather than on a third-party SaaS ATS such as SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, or Greenhouse. The portal hosts the Stellensuche job search, individual posting pages, the Jetzt bewerben application form for each posting, an Initiativbewerbung speculative application form, and the Ausbildung intake area. Behind the scenes the application data is routed to an internal recruiting system operated by the central HR and recruiting function in Pliezhausen, with regional recruiters supporting hiring for the larger locations. Because the portal is custom rather than off-the-shelf, candidate self-service is lighter than what you may be used to: there is no persistent candidate dashboard with status updates across applications, and the recruiter email thread is the source of truth. The application form on a posting page is the canonical point of submission; do not assume that emailing a CV to a generic info address is equivalent.
- Apply through the posting page on datagroup.de/karriere using the Jetzt bewerben button, not by emailing a recruiter directly. The form ensures your application is routed to the correct requisition and recruiter from the start.
- Submit a complete Bewerbungsunterlagen package on the first attempt: Lebenslauf, Anschreiben, school and university Zeugnisse, Arbeitszeugnisse from previous employers, and certification PDFs. Recruiters will not chase you for missing documents on shortlist decisions when other candidates submitted complete packages.
- Use PDF, not Word or LibreOffice native formats. Combine into a single PDF or upload as named files; combined is cleaner.
- Save the confirmation email as proof of submission. Without a candidate dashboard you do not have an in-portal record of your application, so the email is your reference point if you need to follow up.
- For roles in regional offices, mention the location explicitly in the Anschreiben. Regional recruiters in Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dresden, or Vienna read postings for their location with a strong preference for candidates who have anchored their motivation to that office.
- If you applied to a posting that closed before you heard back, that is normal in custom-portal recruiting where many parallel decisions are being made. A polite follow-up email after two weeks is appropriate and frequently moves a stalled application back into active review.
- Initiativbewerbungen go to a different intake queue. Do not submit a speculative application against an open requisition, and do not submit a posting application for a role that does not match your profile in the hope that a recruiter will reroute it; submit the speculative application properly through the dedicated form.
- Update your Lebenslauf and reapply when a stronger match appears. Without a self-updating candidate profile, each application is evaluated on the documents submitted at that moment, so an outdated Lebenslauf from a prior application does not help you on a new one.
Interview Culture
DATAGROUP interviews are calm, structured, and decidedly Mittelstand in tone.
What Datagroup SE Looks For
- Technical depth that matches the CORBOX service line. A workplace engineer is expected to know Microsoft 365, Intune, and modern device management thoroughly; a server engineer is expected to know virtualisation, backup, and patch management thoroughly; a network engineer is expected to know enterprise routing, switching, firewalls, and SD-WAN thoroughly. Generalist claims without depth in at least one CORBOX service line are a frequent rejection reason.
- SAP fluency for the SAP organisation. Whether the role is Basis, functional, technical, or project management, candidates are expected to know S/4HANA in concrete terms (deployment options, migration paths, Fiori, Solution Manager, conversion versus greenfield) and to discuss specific customer projects they have worked on at the level of system landscape, scope, and outcome.
- Customer and service mindset. CORBOX is a multi-year managed service relationship business, not a project body shop. Candidates who can describe specific customer escalations they have owned, contract renewals they have helped win, and SLA failures they have recovered from stand out.
- ITIL and operational discipline. Incident, problem, change, and request management vocabulary is the working language of CORBOX delivery. ITIL 4 Foundation is essentially expected; higher ITIL credentials are a real differentiator.
- Mittelstand cultural fit. Candidates who understand the German Mittelstand customer (family ownership, conservative IT spend, long decision cycles, deep loyalty to suppliers who deliver) and can show they have worked with that customer profile have an immediate edge over candidates whose experience is purely with global enterprises or pure digital natives.
- German language. For most operations, sales, account management, and delivery roles based in Germany, Verhandlungssicheres Deutsch is genuinely required, not aspirational. For a subset of cloud, Microsoft 365, AI, and senior architecture roles, strong English with conversational German is acceptable, and the posting will say so. Calibrate honestly.
- Long-term orientation. DATAGROUP rewards career employees and many delivery teams have decade-plus tenure. Candidates who treat the conversation as a stepping stone to the next quick move land less well than candidates who can articulate why this role is a fit for the next several years of their career.
- Apprenticeship and dual-study credentials are taken seriously. A Fachinformatiker Systemintegration with eight years of operational experience often beats a generic computer science graduate with the same years of experience for CORBOX engineering roles, and DATAGROUP's hiring process reflects that.
- Security and data protection awareness. DATAGROUP operates infrastructure on behalf of regulated customers including healthcare, financial services, and public sector, and ISO 27001, BSI Grundschutz, and DSGVO awareness are valued across roles, not just in the security organisation.
- Evidence that you have done your homework on DATAGROUP specifically. Candidates who know the CORBOX product structure, have read the most recent annual report, can name CEO Andreas Baresel and discuss the acquisition strategy, and have a view on the AI managed services launch stand out sharply from candidates who treat the interview as a generic IT services conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I actually apply for a job at DATAGROUP?
Do I need to speak German to work at DATAGROUP?
What is CORBOX and why do recruiters keep mentioning it?
Where are most DATAGROUP jobs located?
How does the Ausbildung process work and which programmes does DATAGROUP offer?
What is the company culture like day to day?
How does DATAGROUP compare to Bechtle, Cancom, Atos Deutschland, T-Systems, Computacenter, and NTT DATA Deutschland?
Does DATAGROUP sponsor work visas and Blue Cards?
What is the salary range and benefits package like?
What is the role of works councils and IG Metall at DATAGROUP?
How long does the interview process take from first application to offer?
Open Positions
Datagroup SE currently has 3 open positions.
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