After attending secondary school, Ulrich began training as a toolmaker in 1987, which he completed in 1990. Afterwards he worked in his learned profession at Opel AG, where he was released from work as a member of the works council from 1994 to 1998. In 1998, he moved to IG Metall Kaiserslautern as the 2nd authorized representative and managing director. He became member of the bundestag after the 2005 German federal election.[3] He is a member of the Committee on Economic and Energy Affairs and the Committee on European Union Affairs.[4][5]