Professor (m/w/d) (W3) of Human-Robot Interaction
Technische Universität Nürnberg

Permanent

Full Time

Apply by: 2025-10-27

Published: 2025-09-29

Nürnberg

I am interested

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 academic organization of UTN is based on Departments as central structural units. 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, 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, up to two positions as

Professor (m/w/d) (W3) of Human-Robot Interaction

at the Department of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) or at the Department of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (LiAS). Assignment to a Department will be made by the Founding Executive Board based on individual fit in agreement with the Department Chairs.

Your tasks:

You will represent the field of Human-Robot Interaction in research and teaching. You will play an important role in building up the departments and in the interdisciplinary networking of the CSAI and LiAS departments. You will cooperate with outstanding international researchers in the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence as well as the humanities and social sciences. In addition, you will participate in (interdisciplinary) third-party funding applications and supervise theses and doctoral dissertations.

Your profile:

You have excellent scientific qualifications in the field of Human-Robot Interaction, for example, but not exclusively, with expertise in learning from demonstrations, motion planning and navigation in dynamic environments, perception of humans and their intentions and emotions, human cognition and action, social cognition, embodiment, methods for human-robot coordination, cognitive modeling, social robotics, and robots in human environments or similar topics. Scientific fit to both departments, particularly our robotics research, as well as experience in interdisciplinary collaboration is expected.

Teaching experience is required, experience in teaching in interdisciplinary contexts is desired. We expect you to participate in all English-spoken courses planned by the departments, to contribute to the development of the degree programs, to be committed to the implementation of innovative teaching and learning concepts, and to be willing to cooperate within the department and, in particular, to network between the Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence and Liberal Arts & Social Sciences departments. Your ability to lead a research group, openness to our cooperative departmental structure and sensitivity to aspects of diversity and gender equality are expected. We are looking for team players willing to embrace something new and actively shape our university.

The legal hiring criteria according to Article 57 Paragraph 1 and Article 60 Paragraph 3 BayHIG apply. Therefore, a university degree is a prerequisite, as well as a particular aptitude for research, usually demonstrated through a doctorate or equivalent scientific qualification. Furthermore, applicants must demonstrate additional scientific achievements beyond their doctorate or doctorate-equivalent qualification, as well as pedagogical aptitude.

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 shaping them.

We will make sure that you are able to fully focus on your work by 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 at increasing the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourages women to apply.

Interested?

Please refer to the reference number PF-2025-05 in your application. Please apply by 27.10.2025 in English and with all relevant application documents (letter of motivation, CV including externally funded projects and awards, list of publications, research statement, teaching statement, high school and relevant university diplomas (e.g. degree certificates, doctoral certificate (if applicable) etc.), four publications most relevant to your research profile) exclusively via our application portal.

Please observe our guidelines for the preparation of the teaching statement, which can be found under the following links:

Questions?

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

If you have questions regarding the profile of the position, contact one of the Founding Chairs, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Burgard, wolfram.burgard@utn.de or Prof. Dr. Gyburg Uhlmann, gyburg.uhlmann@utn.de.

You can find more information on our data privacy policy here: https://www.utn.de/en/privacy/.

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