Professor (m/f/d) (W3) of Mechatronics & Robotics Technische Universität Nürnberg

The University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN), founded in 2021, is a living laboratory for the university of the future – adapted to the age of artificial intelligence and to constant technological, economic, and social change. Aiming to become a leading international institution with a focus on artificial intelligence, UTN is equally committed to excellence in research, teaching, and transfer. Its lean governance structure supports an agile and efficient implementation of its vision. Its sustainable, 37-hectare and partly residential campus will form the heart of a new district in Nuremberg, not far from the historic old town. On its campus, around 6,000 students will learn from and work with around 200 professors and numerous academic and administrative staff. The UTN is organized into departments, each of which carries out the university’s research-related tasks in its respective field. Teaching at the university, on the other hand, is organized by a central office (StaRS), which develops and updates the educational and academic offerings and is responsible for the degree programs. The Departments of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence and of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences are already established. Three further Departments are in development: Biological Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, and Natural Sciences. Departments at UTN are characterized by flat hierarchies and offer exciting opportunities for challenging and rewarding career paths. UTN attaches great importance to interdisciplinary cooperation, such as interdisciplinary research on themes for which research outputs can bring about major benefits to our society and its economy. Most degree programs at UTN are offered in English. German and English are the languages of work in administration, teaching, and research, while the official and legal language is German. Digital technologies, AI, and innovative applications are used in a targeted manner to improve university life and work experience for everyone. UTN is characterized by an open and inclusive culture where everyone feels welcome. Diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of staff, students, and stakeholders help to achieve excellence and develop talent. The Nuremberg Metropolitan Region is one of the most innovative regions in the EU. It impresses with affordable living costs, a high quality of life, and an urban culture close to nature. It also offers an excellent regional transport network and optimal connections to European travel routes and international transport hubs in Germany. The University of Technology Nuremberg is looking to fill, at the earliest possible date, a position as a

Professor (m/f/d) (W3) of Mechatronics & Robotics.

The willingness to assume the position of

Founding Chair for a soon to be founded Department in the field of Mechatronics & Robotics

is expected.

Your tasks:

You represent the field of Mechatronics & Robotics in research, teaching, and transfer. The intention is to appoint the selected candidate, upon commencing the professorship at UTN, as the Founding Chair, respectively as the leader of a new Department, in accordance with the applicable organizational structure. As the Founding Chair of the new Department, you will be responsible for establishing, managing, and developing the Department, which includes a key role in establishing the Department’s research focus and defining the directions for future professorships at the Department. In this context, you will act as an academic leader, combining excellence in science responsibilities for institutional development. Alongside the existing and future Founding Chairs, you will closely work together with the UTN Executive Board in developing the university as a Founding Chair. We expect a willingness to collaborate across different disciplines to address questions and problems together. This should be properly reflected in the application documents. You will promote strategic collaborations with partners from academia, business, and society.

Your profile:

This position is intended for established and internationally recognized scientists with a prominent role in their respective field of robotics research with a focus on mechatronic embodiment. Thanks to your breadth and depth of expertise, you are capable of establishing a new Department at UTN in line with your research vision and UTN’s strategic profile, both professionally and strategically within the university’s strategic profile development. You can generate and execute concrete ideas and plans for this purpose. You have excellent scientific qualifications in the field of Mechatronics & Robotics. Your research focuses on the development of innovative methods in robotics, with a focus on mechatronic embodiment, and in at least one of the following areas: AI-enhanced complex user environments, exoskeletons, intelligent bioprotheses/orthoses, and/or mechatronic approaches to human-machine interfaces. Your research focus is complementary to the research of the existing Departments as well as to the UTN. You can demonstrate your excellence in this field through the quality of your scientific work, your outstanding role and visibility in the international research community, experience with the acquisition of third-party funding as well as exceptional, thematically relevant publications in leading international conferences and journals. You have extensive experience in interdisciplinary research, also in collaboration with subjects outside of Mechatronics & Robotics - preferably with Computer Science and AI, Mathematics or Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. You have concrete plans to continue your interdisciplinary collaborations at UTN and/or to start new ones. You should be able to demonstrate the impact of your research for practical applications and present research results that have been or will be successfully used in economic applications and/or for the benefit of society. You have extensive teaching experience and experience in designing degree programs and courses—both in your own subject area and in an interdisciplinary context. We expect you to take on an important role in developing degree programs with subject focus related to the Department, to be committed to implementing innovative, digital teaching and learning concepts, and to contribute concrete ideas for teaching cooperation within the Department and beyond. We are looking for leaders who are also team players and who are willing to embrace our innovative framework. You have considerable experience in an academic leadership position and with academic service. You bring strong expertise in academic management, including experience with governance structures, personnel development, and organizational processes. Experience with academic service in the German academic system is preferred. You are able to guide employees, supervise students, co-shape a strategic vision for university development, especially within the framework of the UTN founding concept, communicate on an equal footing and in a solution-oriented manner, and address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in your leadership and management style, in line with UTN’s values and culture. Additional professional experience outside the academic context is welcome. The legal hiring criteria according to Article 57 Paragraph 1 and Article 60 Paragraph 3 BayHIG apply. Professors may generally be appointed as civil servants only if they have not yet reached the age of 52. Starting at age 52, employment under a private-law employment contract is possible, or, in individual cases, with an exception under Art. 60, para. 3, sentence 2 of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHIG). The call for applications is aimed at people with a university degree and pedagogical aptitude who have proven their special aptitude for academic work, usually through a doctorate, and who can also demonstrate additional academic achievements.

Our offer:

The University of Technology Nuremberg is rethinking the university on all levels. We offer a motivated and excellent international team in which you can contribute with all your ideas and competencies. You will be able to experience and develop new, interdisciplinary forms of research collaboration as well as teaching and learning, and help us shape them. We will make sure that you are able to fully focus on your work with our modern, service-oriented administrative units. We see diversity as an asset. The University of Technology Nuremberg is a place that offers knowledge and equal opportunities to people regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, ideology, religion, origin, or disability. The position is suitable to be filled by severely disabled persons. Severely disabled applicants will be given preference if their suitability, qualification, and professional performance are otherwise essentially equal. We see family-friendliness as the basis for achieving equal opportunities for men and women in science. Therefore, we offer flexible ways of working, family-friendly times for events and meetings, as well as dual-career options. The University of Technology Nuremberg aims to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourages women to apply.

Interested?

Please refer to the reference number PF-2026-03 in your application. Please apply by November 25, 2026, in English and with all relevant application documents (letter of motivation, CV including externally funded projects and awards, list of publications, research statement, high school and relevant university diplomas (e.g., degree certificates, doctoral certificate (if applicable), etc.) exclusively via our application portal. Please note that at a later stage of the procedure, candidates will be expected to participate in an assessment center.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the Appointments Team, appointments@utn.de.
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