12.09.2025

The Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG), as member of the Leibniz Association, is a non-profit organisation devoted to academic research. It is an independent, non-university research institute, jointly funded by the German federal government and the federal states. Its mission is to conduct academic research on European history. The Institute fulfills this task through individual and joint projects carried out by its staff, the awarding of international research fellowships and cooperation with other institutions in Germany and abroad.

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is one of the largest universities in Germany. Thanks to its location in the Rhine-Main science region, the university can exploit its full potential and showcase its dynamic innovative power. Its status as a comprehensive university allows for multidisciplinary learning and teaching, in turn paving the way for internationally renowned, interdisciplinary research. Almost all of its faculties and departments are located on a single campus close to the Mainz city centre, creating a lively academic culture for researchers, teaching staff, and students from all over the world.

As part of a joint appointment with the Faculty of History and Cultural Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the position of
Director at the Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG)
is to be filled in conjunction with a
University Professorship in the field of Modern and Contempo-rary European History (19th-21st centuries)
beginning on 01.04.2027.
Salary grade W3 LBesG Civil servant ( tenured)
 

The IEG research agenda is currently articulated in three working groups on Society, Religion, and Digitality in Historical Studies. Two directors jointly manage the institute’s ongoing academic affairs. The Executive Board’s key responsibilities include the strategic development of the IEG’s research profile, oversight of the programme budget, the development and coordination of interdisciplinary research projects with national and international partners, and cooperation with other insti-tutions within the Leibniz Association.

We are seeking a distinguished scholar with:

• relevant, internationally visible and innovative aca-demic achievements in the field of European his-tory and its internal and external interconnections
• an interest in interdisciplinary research and re-search straddling historical periods
• an openness to digital historical research and its methodologies (expected)
• an interest in questions of religious and environ-mental history (desirable)

Expectations:

• an international academic network
• proven leadership experience
• experience in academic administration and research management
• a successful track record in securing third-party funding
• experience in university teaching and in the transfer of knowledge
• a willingness to actively engage in committees of the Leibniz Association
• a willingness to teach at JGU (2 semester hours per week)

Requirements:

• in addition to the general requirements according to public services law, applicants must meet the re-cruitment requirements stipulated in section 49 of the University Act (Hochschulgesetz) of Rhineland-Palatinate.
• a doctorate in history or a closely related historical discipline
• an outstanding academic track record in the field of historical research

The position will be jointly appointed by JGU and the IEG. The appointment as Director of the IEG will follow an academic leave of absence from the university professorship.

Both IEG and JGU aim to increase the number of women in academia and therefore encourage female researchers to apply. Candidates with severe disabilities and people with disabilities who are treated equally in accordance with Section 2 (3) SGB IX will be given preferential con-sideration if they are suitable. IEG and JGU value diversity and welcome qualified candidates from all back-grounds.
The state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the IEG, and JGU expect cooperative, team-oriented, and creative working methods, excellent communication skills and a readiness to assume leadership responsibilities in line with JGU’s and IEG’s leadership principles as well as a willingness to engage in continuous professional development.

What we offer:
We offer a high-profile and rewarding leadership position at a nationally and internationally recognized non-university research institute. The post provides extensive opportunities to conduct independent research, coordinate research activities, support early- and mid-career scholars, shape the transfer of academic knowledge to both expert audiences and the general public, and to operate and further develop both analogue and digital research infrastructures.

JGU and the IEG are committed to promoting equal opportunities for all genders. They actively support the reconciliation of work and family life and foster the professional development of their staff through a comprehensive range of career development programmes.

Please apply no later than 23.10.2025 using the JGU’s online application portal, which you can reach via the following link:
https://berufungsportal.uni-mainz.de/datenabfrage/W3-Europ-Neueste-Geschichte-Zeitgeschichte

You can upload your application including your CV, diplomas, certificates, list of publications, record of third-party funding, current and planned research projects, and a list of previously taught courses. Please address your application to Dean of the Faculty of History and Cultural Studies Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heide Frielinghaus, and the Director of European History and Cultural Studies​ Univ.-Prof. Dr. Nicole Reinhardt.

For questions or further information, please contact Univ.-Prof. Dr. Nicole Reinhardt via reinhardt@ieg-mainz.de.
Information on data protection: https://karriere.uni-mainz.de/en/#data-protection-information.

 

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