Professorship (W 3) in Astrophysical Cosmology and Director at AIP Universität Potsdam
Founded in 1991, the University of Potsdam (UP) has firmly established itself in the scientific landscape and has become an outstanding economic factor and development engine for the region. It has a high level of third-party funding, has won several awards for teaching, and has a service-oriented administration and has received sev-eral awards for being family-friendly. Around 20,000 students and 3,000 employees work at three locations - Am Neuen Palais, Griebnitzsee and Golm - at one of the most beautifully situated academic institutions in Germany.
The Faculty of Science, Institute of Physics and Astronomy, at the University of Potsdam, invites applications for a joint professorship under the Jülich Modell with the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) to be filled as soon as possible:
Professorship (W 3) in Astrophysical Cosmology and Director at AIP
The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) is a major research center for astrophysics, home to more than 200 scientists, engineers, and support staff working on questions from solar physics to the large-scale structure of the universe and developing technologies in spectroscopy and automated observing systems. Located in the beautiful Potsdam-Babelsberg area near Berlin, AIP plays a leading role in international telescope instrumentation projects, including 4MOST and BlueMUSE, and contributes to next-generation ELT spectrographs ANDES and MOSAIC.
We are looking for a researcher with an outstanding scientific record, demonstrated international leader-ship, and strong management qualities in the field of astrophysical cosmology. The selected candidate will lead a new research department in this area at AIP, building on existing strengths and creating new scientific opportunities. Candidates are expected to demonstrate an excellent research record, substan-tial experience in securing external funding, leadership in major international collaborations, teaching and student supervision, a track record of service to the astrophysics community, and the ability to build and manage a diverse and competitive research department of considerable scientific breadth. The candi-date will be a member of the institute management at AIP, which is comprised of three scientific direc-tors and the administrative director.
Excellence in research should be demonstrated through publications in leading peer-reviewed journals, by invited participation in relevant international scientific conferences, and leadership in collaborative research projects. The ability to build and lead a diverse and competitive research department should be evidenced by a track record of scientific leadership, for example through leadership positions in major international collaborations, responsibility for research groups, departments or institutes, supervision and career development of researchers, and a demonstrated ability to attract talent and external funding.
The candidate is expected to have a strong research profile in the field of astrophysical cosmology, particularly addressing the emergence of structure in the post-recombination Universe. Possible research focuses include, but are not limited to, the theoretical/computational studies on the formation of large-scale structures in the universe, the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, investigations on major astrophysical processes governing cosmic structure formation, or the analysis of large surveys with advanced statistical and machine-learning methods.
The candidate should contribute expertise that complements AIP’s existing research fields and create opportunities for collaboration. Applications with a focus on large surveys, theory and simulation, or methodological development in computational astrophysics or data-driven applications are welcome. The candidate is expected to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across astrophysics and related fields, both within and beyond the institute, and to contribute to teaching in physics, including MSc-level astrophysics courses at the university.
The University of Potsdam and the AIP value diversity and thus pursue the goals of equal opportunities and diversity in accordance with the general principle of equal treatment. One of the UP’s and AIP’s strategic goals is to significantly increase the proportion of women in research and teaching. Therefore, the UP and the AIP expressly invite applications from qualified female scientists. People with a severe disability will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Periods of time taken for parental leave or caregiving are taken into account when assessing applicants’ academic careers. The implementation of equality and diversity standards in the respective field of work is expected.
We also offer dual career support and coaching for newly appointed professors.
Please submit your application, with the relevant documentation (including a CV, a presentation of your research interests, list of publications, a list of acquired external funding, copies of academic certificates and documents, a list of courses taught including teaching evaluations), via email (in one single PDF file) to ausschreibungen@uni-potsdam.de by November 30, 2026. Further information is available online at https://www.uni-potsdam.de/berufungen.
According to the Civil Servants Act of the State of Brandenburg (“Landesbeamtengesetz”), an inquiry must be made to the Domestic Intelligence Service prior to the completion of the hiring and appointment as a civil servant in the state of Brandenburg. Information on the lawfulness and the procedure is available here.
If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Matthias Steinmetz (matthias.steinmetz@uni-potsdam.de).
The joint appointment will be implemented according to the “Jülich Modell” with a teaching obligation at the University of Potsdam in accordance with the Brandenburg Higher Education Act (BbgHG).
The hiring process is subject to the requirements set forth in Section 43 subsection 1 sentence 1 no. 1 – 3 and no. 4 letter a of the BbgHG. The appointment procedure is conducted in accordance with Section 42 BbgHG.
You can find more information about working at the University of Potsdam at
www.uni-potsdam.de/en/arbeiten-an-der-up/employer-up/overview
Kontakt
ausschreibungen@uni-potsdam.de
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