There is an opportunity for a university professorship in urban design at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Association

In close partnership with society, KIT develops solutions for urgent challenges – from climate change, energy transition and sustainable use of natural resources to artificial intelligence, sovereignty and an aging population. As The University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT unites scientific excellence from insight to application-driven research under one roof – and is thus in a unique position to drive this transformation. As a University of Excellence, KIT offers its more than 10,000 employees and 22,800 students outstanding opportunities to shape a sustainable and resilient future.

Role

The KIT Department of Architecture – allocated to the Division ‘Natural and Built Environment’of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – invites applications for a full-time university professorship (W3) for urban design at the Institute for Urban and Landscape Design (IESL) to be commenced in the summer semester 2027. The university professorship is part of the institute’s collegial leadership.

We are seeking candidates (f/m/d) from the fields of architecture, urban design and urban planning who, based on their professional experience and research to date, have demonstrated outstanding achievements and a high level of expertise and who wish to contribute these skills to teaching and research at the KIT Department of Architecture.

The teaching responsibilities of the university professorship include instructing students in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in architecture in both German and English, as well as participating in new English-language Master’s programs and courses with a focus on urban design and urban planning. You will execute university tasks with a teaching obligation of nine hours per week per semester.

The goal is to establish a research profile focused on the development and transformation of complex urban structures against the backdrop of changing social conditions, technological advancements, environmental imperatives, and economic factors. Interdisciplinary collaboration within and across disciplines, as well as international networking, is strongly encouraged.

The holder of the university professorship will be fully responsible for representing the field of urban design both within and beyond the university. The position requires close collaboration with the institutes for regional, spatial, and earth sciences at the KIT Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering, participation in academic selfgovernance, internationally recognised publications and a willingness to secure external funding.

Your profile

We are seeking candidates (f/m/d) from the fields of architecture, urban design and urban planning who possess excellent design and research skills and who are engaged in the conception and transformation of urban structures, infrastructures and open spaces at various scales and who understand their further development in close interaction with social, ecological, economic, and technological interdependencies.

In addition to the general civil service requirements, the qualifications for appointment include a completed university degree in architecture or urban planning, pedagogical aptitude and teaching skills, as well as a demonstrated aptitude for academic work, evidenced by a doctoral degree, a postdoctoral qualification or equivalent achievements.

Employment is subject to Art. 14, par. (2) of the KIT Act in conjunction with Art. 47 LHG Baden-Württemberg (Act of Baden-Württemberg on Universities and Colleges).

Salary

Salary is governed by the statutory provisions of the State of Baden-Württemberg and comprises the basic salary of salary grade W3.

In addition, the granting of performance-related pay components is possible. The family allowance is paid, where applicable, in accordance with civil service law.

Application

We prefer to balance the number of employees (f/m/d). Therefore, we kindly ask female applicants to apply for this job. Recognised severely disabled persons will be preferred if they are equally qualified.

Please apply by 25 June 2026 to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Division IV, Division Head Prof. Dr. Orphal, Englerstraße 7, 76131 Karlsruhe.

Your comprehensive application should be submitted in English via the ‘apply for job’ button, using the vacancy number 1118/2026 with the usual documents (approach to research and teaching, including a didactic concept for teaching the subject matter in the field of Urban Design, 2 pages each, and a statement on academic integrity) as a PDF, maximum 30 A4 pages with a maximum file size of 10MB, along with a summary of the application materials (academic curriculum), along with any teaching evaluation results, and three of the most important publications and their abstracts in digital form (PDF).

An information sheet on the requirements profile for the university professorship with regard to teaching and research, as well as the template for the summary of the application documents (academic curriculum), should be requested from the Dean’s Office of the KIT Department.

For further information, please contact Professor Dr. Barbara Engel at +49721 608-42170 or via e-mail.

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University professorship – urban design