W2 Professorship (W3 tenure track position) in Sustainable Metallurgy and Structural Materials in a Circular Economy Universität des Saarlandes
Saarland University is a campus university with a strong international focus and a distinctive research profile characterized by its four core research hubs -Computer Science-, -BioMed – Life and Materials-, -Interdisciplinary European Research- and -Sustainability-. With numerous internationally respected research institutes situated in the vicinity of the university and dedicated support for start-up companies, Saarland University is an ideal environment for research, teaching and innovation. The proportion of international students studying at Saarland University is well above the national average and is testimony to the university-s strong international focus. Saarland University has been officially certified as a family-friendly university since 2004.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at Saarland University brings together numerous disciplines under one organizational umbrella with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching, fundamental and exploratory research and in the development of practical applications. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is active in the key research fields -Multifunctional Materials and Systems-, -Sustainability and the Circular Economy- and -Digitalization, Data and AI-, all of which are constantly evolving and strongly represented in the faculty-s academic curricula, and is a major contributor to the university-wide core research area -Sustainability-.
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at Saarland University in Saarbrücken is inviting applications for the following position to commence on 1 October 2026:
W2 Professorship
(W3 tenure track position)
in Sustainable Metallurgy and Structural Materials in a Circular Economy
(m/f/x; Reference no.: W2764)
This professorial position is a fixed-term public sector appointment (-Beamtenverhältnis auf Zeit-) for a maximum period of six years. If the tenure evaluation procedure (teaching appraisal and external assessment of research work) is positive, the appointee will be promoted to a permanent professorship (lifetime tenure) at the German academic salary scale W3.
The University is also inviting applications for four further professorships in the fields of Product Development and Circularity-Driven Design (m/f/x; reference no. W2765), Advanced Recycling Processes for Circular Material Flows (m/f/x; reference no. W2763), Applied Mechanics (m/f/x; reference no. W2677) and Functional Materials (m/f/x; reference no. W2675). Applicants whose research focus is between any of these areas are encouraged to submit a separate application to each professorship position for which their scientific profile is suitable.
As a member of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, you will play an active role in shaping Saarland University-s core research area -Sustainability- and in developing the key regional transformation project -CircularSaar-. You are expected to drive research and innovative teaching in the field of sustainable metallurgy and the role of structural materials in the circular economy. Your research should focus on designing low-carbon production pathways and establishing fully integrated, low-emission life cycles for metal products. Key research topics include: new (hydrogen-based) reduction methods in green steel production; electrochemical and biological processes for extracting valuable elements (e.g. lithium, cobalt and rare earths); the design of new alloy systems for structural materials that are easier to recycle and require less energy in downstream processing; and the physicochemical conversion of metallurgical slag into cement additives, concrete components or ceramic materials. The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology seeks to create a multidisciplinary research network that will drive the development of closed-loop material systems. To this end, you will be expected to collaborate closely with the other university research groups active in the core research area -Sustainability- and in the regional transformation project -CircularSaar- (Recycling for Circular Materials, Computational Methods for Circular Materials and Systems, Functional Materials for Circular Systems, and Design for Circularity) as well as with the local non-university research institutions such as INM, IzfP, MECS, DFKI and ZeMA. We also expect you to demonstrate a strong willingness to cooperate with local industry and businesses, to make use of AI in research, and to participate in research data management initiatives.
Your teaching duties will cover the fields of metallic materials and sustainable metallurgy. In addition to in-depth courses on the thermodynamics of metals and alloys, you will combine traditional materials science with modern concepts of sustainability. In the fixed-term W2 phase of the professorship, you will establish new courses on the topics of sustainable metallurgy, circular material flows for metallic structural materials, and new methods of metal extraction. You will actively participate in the implementation of practical and laboratory courses and be involved in academic administrative and committee work at the departmental level. At the full-tenure W3 level, you will deliver lectures to undergraduates in areas such as alloy science, the thermodynamics and kinetics of metallic materials. You will also develop a module for Master-s programmes in the core research area -Sustainability- and will contribute to developing the degree programmes offered by the department. Other duties include recruiting and supporting early-career researchers. Active participation in establishing and expanding the department-s international degree programmes (AMASE, EEIGM, ATLANTIS) is expressly desired. In addition, you will be required to participate in the acquisition, preparation and implementation of collaborative projects with local and national stakeholders as well as regional and international research projects.
The appointment will be made in accordance with the general provisions of German public sector employment law. Please refer to Section 41 of the Saarland Higher Education Act (SHSG, current version available at https://recht.saarland.de/bssl/document/jlrHSchulGSLrahmen).
The appointment will be made in accordance with the general provisions of German public sector employment law. Applicants must have a university degree in materials science, materials engineering, chemistry, physics or a related subject and have experience in and an aptitude for academic teaching. They will have a PhD or doctorate in an appropriate subject and will have demonstrated a particular capacity for independent academic research, typically by having obtained an advanced, post-doctoral research degree (Habilitation) or by having published an equivalent volume of peer-reviewed research or by having successfully completed the interim evaluation of a junior professorship or equivalent position. Applicants should demonstrate a high level of expertise in metallurgy, sustainability, and recyclable structural materials – particularly in relation to the research topics mentioned above – evidenced by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed scientific work and by regular participation in relevant scientific conferences. We expect a strong commitment to academic teaching documented by previous regular teaching duties and positive teaching evaluations, ideally in the fields of metallurgy, sustainability and circular material flows. We also expect you to be a strong team player and to have a collaborative mindset, demonstrated, for example, by successful participation in joint projects and active involvement in academic committee work. You must have good communication skills in written and spoken German and English.
Saarland University views internationalization as a process spanning all aspects of university life. We therefore expect members of our professorial staff to promote and foster further internationalization. Special support will be provided for projects that expand collaboration within existing international cooperative networks, e.g. projects with partners in the European University Alliance Transform4Europe (www.transform4europe.eu) or the University of the Greater Region (www.uni-gr.eu).
In accordance with the objectives of its gender equality plan, Saarland University is actively seeking to increase the proportion of women in this field. Qualified women candidates are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. Preferential consideration will be given to applications from disabled candidates of equal eligibility. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnic heritage or social background, religious beliefs, personal beliefs or values, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.
Please complete the application form in Saarland University-s online professorial appointments portal (www.uni-saarland.de/berufungen) and submit it and your application documents by no later than 28 May 2026. Application documents must be uploaded as a PDF file (max. size 10 MB) and should include the following documents in the order specified:
- Cover letter setting out your motivation and suitability for the role
- CV (incl. list of external research funding and awards)
- List of publications
- Detailed listing of external research funding secured
- Overview of research (previous work and research planned at Saarland University, max. 5 pages)
- Teaching history and concept (list of previous courses taught incl. evaluations, explanatory outline of your teaching concept and approach; max. 5 pages)
- Academic qualifications (undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD/doctoral degree certificates, habilitation (if applicable) and other relevant credentials)
- Full copies of your three most important publications
- Proof of disability if you declared a disability in your application
- If you hold a university degree from a non-German university, please provide proof of equivalence from Germany-s Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) if available. If you have not yet requested proof of equivalence from ZAB, you must submit proof at a later date if so requested.
When you submit a job application to Saarland University, you will be transmitting personal data. Please refer to our privacy notice for information on how we collect and process personal data in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (www.uni-saarland.de/en/privacy).By submitting your application, you confirm that you have taken note of the information in the Saarland University privacy notice.
The full job advertisement can be found at:
www.uni-saarland.de | www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzo6dxr1FWk
Kennziffer
W2764
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Universität des Saarlandes
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