Adapting old automotive job descriptions for the EV era is one of the biggest opportunities legacy manufacturers have right now. Electric vehicles demand a completely different engineering logic, bringing entirely new manufacturing processes and specialised skill sets into play. In order to keep progressing in this transition, forward-thinking companies are taking a fresh approach to their job specs, moving beyond traditional frameworks to better reflect how these roles have evolved.
Why is the EV shift a hiring problem, not a product story?
Most of what gets written about electric vehicles is about the vehicles. Very little is about the people who build them. The UK Government's Green Jobs Taskforce estimated that 50,000 automotive manufacturing workers would need reskilling by 2025, rising to 100,000 by 2035 to 2040. Those figures come from the original analysis, so they show the scale of the change rather than today's headcount. This means the shift reaches well beyond the R&D department.
Which roles are growing and which are declining?
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports that at least 22,000 UK jobs tied to combustion technology are at risk. UK manufacturers are already adapting, moving existing workforces towards a £24 billion supply chain opportunity across batteries and power electronics.
When a vehicle moves from gas engines to electric systems, it shifts from mechanical parts to advanced electronics. Rather than replacing your team, this transition is a good moment to help existing engineers grow into high-voltage and software control roles.
But this goes further than bringing in software talent. EVs shift the weight from mechanical components to electrical systems, so the talent you look for has to change with it. Many established brands are already retraining their teams for this. You can make it easier by reviewing early vehicle designs, which shows which electrical skills you will need well before the new factory floor opens.
How early does EV hiring have to start?
The Faraday Institution projects UK demand equivalent to six 20-GWh gigafactories by 2030. It estimates that a successful UK EV and battery ecosystem could support 270,000 jobs by 2040. It also found that 47% of forecast UK battery demand to 2030 was not covered by existing gigafactory plans.
A plant needs process engineers and quality specialists long before it needs operators. Waiting for a line to open before you start recruiting means meeting the gap on the day production is meant to begin.
Can you retrain your way out of it?
The World Resources Institute surveyed automotive manufacturers and found that over half said new hires need many additional battery electric vehicle skills. A further 38% said they need some. Employers pointed to computer systems and battery technology among the main areas. The survey is US-based, but the skills it describes apply to any manufacturer moving to electric.
Some retraining does work. A traditional manufacturing engineer, with the right training, can move into battery assembly or process quality. But these disciplines are scarce, and in most cases they still have to be recruited.
Who else is hiring for the same people?
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates that the US auto industry alone needs more than 115,000 people with new skills. It says demand for this talent could be six times supply. The skills span data and analytics, EV engineering and automation.
This is before you count who else is hiring. Battery makers and technology companies want the same software, controls and electrical engineers. A carmaker recruiting one vacancy at a time will lose those candidates to businesses that plan further ahead.
What is happening to the talent already in the market?
As part of its shift towards electrification, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) recently announced a restructuring plan that will adjust its global workforce by around 4,000 roles over the next two years. Much of the impact is expected to fall on salaried employees in the UK. The move is designed to streamline operations as JLR accelerates investment in next-generation electric vehicles, as we covered in JLR Restructuring: Navigating Market Change. At the same time, the company has said it will keep investing in electrification and new vehicles.
That releases a lot of vehicle programme experience back into the market. Engineers with a history of launching complex products are exactly who an electric programme needs. But they will not stay available for long, and they will not all stay in automotive.
What does this mean for your hiring plan?
Hiring on matching skills works better than screening on exact job titles. Many people have the right technical experience for an electric project even if their current title says something completely different. If you only screen candidates by title, you filter out strong candidates before you see what they can do.
You also cannot use a single approach for different areas of the business. Disciplines like engineering, software development, and workshop tech all come from separate talent pools with different backgrounds. One job description will not fit all of them.
How VHR works with manufacturers hiring for the EV transition
VHR is a specialist technical recruitment consultancy with dedicated practices in automotive engineering and engineering & manufacturing. We support organisations hiring across powertrain, controls, validation and manufacturing engineering, on both permanent and contract bases.
In practice, we are building network depth in high-voltage and EV-specific disciplines as demand grows. These are the areas where battery makers and technology firms are competing for the same candidates, and where the best people are rarely visible on open job boards.
If your organisation has roles that are not moving, a project phase on the 12 to 18 month horizon, or a workforce plan that needs testing against current market supply, get in touch with VHR's engineering and manufacturing team. The earlier that conversation starts, the more options it leaves you with.
