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For completeness, there is a third category of people (namely students) who have a right to reside in other EU countries under free movement rules but that's presumably not relevant for you and your family.

For completeness, there is a third category of people (namely students) who have a right to reside in other EU countries under free movement rules but that's presumably not relevant for you and your family.

Just about any job is enough to qualify as a “worker” under EU law. Technically, merely looking for a job would too but that cannot last forever and if he wants to do that longer than 6 months, he could have to show he is still actively looking for work and has decent chances of finding some. In practice, if he was living alone and would abstain from seeking support from the state, he would not necessarily need to worry about this (see Moving to Germany with fiancée (both EU citizens) because of work reasons. What if she does not find a job?). But without a job, it will be harder to prove his status when applying for your residence card.

Applying for a residence card as the spouse of an economically non-active person requires showing that the sponsor has “sufficient resources” (i.e. income and/or wealth that would put you above the threshold to receive social benefits). I don't know the exact threshold for Germany but it should be on the order of €10000-15000 for a year and you will also need to show that you have health insurance. See Can We Move To France Although We Don't Live In The EU? for more details on how these rules work in another EU country.

Just about any job is enough to qualify as a “worker” under EU law. Technically, merely looking for a job would too but that cannot last forever and if he wants to do that longer than 6 months, he could have to show he is still actively looking for work and has decent chances of finding some. In practice, if he was living alone and would abstain from seeking support from the state, he would not necessarily need to worry about this (see Moving to Germany with fiancée (both EU citizens) because of work reasons. What if she does not find a job?). But without a job, it will be harder to prove his status when applying for your residence card.

Applying for a residence card as the spouse of an economically non-active person requires showing that the sponsor has “sufficient resources” (i.e. income and/or wealth that would put you above the threshold to receive social benefits). I don't know the exact threshold for Germany but it should be on the order of €10000-15000 for a year and you will also need to show that you have health insurance. See Can We Move To France Although We Don't Live In The EU? for more details on how these rules work in another EU country.

If your husband does not fulfil any of these conditions (being a worker, a student or having sufficient resources), then you need to qualify for the relevant German work permit on your own. Being married to an EU citizen would not make much difference. That's usually harder but for an academic job, it should be doable. In this case, you definitely need the permit/authorisation before starting to work. US citizens who are not married to EU citizens can also enter the country and stay for three months without a visa but they are not allowed to work without prior authorisation.

If your husband does not fulfil any of these conditions (being a worker, a student or having sufficient resources), then you need to qualify for the relevant German work permit on your own. Being married to an EU citizen would not make much difference. That's usually harder but for an academic job, it should be doable. In this case, you definitely need the permit/authorisation before starting to work. 

US citizens who are not married to EU citizens can also enter the country and stay for three months without a visa. They can also apply for a residence permit and stay as long as their application is pending. But, unlike people covered by the EU freedom of movement, they are not allowed to work before having received the permit that explicitly allows them to do so.