Professorship (W3) for Informatics with a Focus on Societal Communication

The Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) and the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Natural Sciences at the University of Hamburg are seeking to fill the following position effective January 1, 2028:

W3 University Professorship for Informatics with a Focus on Societal Communication

Application Deadline: December 10, 2026

The advertised position is a joint professorship between the University of Hamburg and the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI).

Responsibilities:

Research at the HBI currently comprises two pillars: the field of communication studies and the field of law. This research will expand with the addition of a professorship in informatics, which will primarily address issues of social communication. This professorship has been assigned to Program Area 2 (Communication Structures and Their Governance) at the HBI. The HBI is open to various subfields of computer science – such as web science, socioinformatics, natural language processing, algorithmic fairness and accountability, sociotechnical system modeling, and network science. However, digital communication processes and public information infrastructures must be at the center of the research focus.

The professorship is based in the University’s Department of Informatics.

The successful candidate is expected to teach and conduct research in the field of informatics. The research conducted by the professorship will be carried out at the HBI.

In addition to research and teaching in the field of informatics with a focus on societal communication, the professor is also required to:

• teach 2 teaching hours per week per semester and assume examination duties
• contribute to the development of the HBI and its position in the Leibniz Association
• where necessary, assume examination duties at the HBI and represent the institute in committees and the Leibniz Association
• establish a working group at the HBI and participate in institute-wide initiatives for support for doctoral and early career researchers, internationalization, and networking
• participate in the communication of research findings to policymakers, regulatory authorities, and the public
• initiate and maintain international cooperation

Section 12 subsection 7 sentence 2 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG) applies.

Your profile:

We expect:

• outstanding research in one or more subfields of informatics, as evidenced by internationally recognized publications in high-impact, relevant journals or conference proceedings
• a research perspective that focuses on digital communication processes, platforms, or public information infrastructures—whether through empirical or constructive-design approaches—and that makes a significant contribution to the further development of the HBI’s research agenda (https://leibniz-hbi.de/en/)
• a thoughtful examination of the social and normative implications of one’s own research as well as methodological sensitivity to the conditions under which findings from informatics can be applied to legal, regulatory, or journalistic contexts
• experience collaborating with noninformatics disciplines (ideally both the social sciences and law), evidenced by joint publications, externally funded projects, or collaborative relationships
• success in acquiring and implementing externally funded projects
• experience in knowledge exchange and cocreative research
• experience as head of a scientific working group, institute, large research projects, or comparable research units

We also expect:

• excellent written and spoken English
• C1 level proficiency in German. Language proficiency may be obtained within the first 2 years of employment. The University of Hamburg is happy to assist you.

Ideally, you will also have:

• experience with open science practices, particularly with making code, models, and datasets available under open licenses
• experience with research data management involving sensitive or legally regulated data (DSA research data access, platform APIs, research clauses)
• experience in horizon scanning of technological developments relevant to public communication
• experience advising legislative bodies, regulatory authorities, or civil society actors in the field of digital communication
• a willingness to participate in joint competitive applications within the Leibniz Association (Leibniz Competition, Leibniz Kolleg).

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Anne Lauscher: anne.lauscher(at)uni-hamburg.de

Prof. Dr. Judith Möller: judith.moeller(at)leibniz-hbi.de

Reference number: 2463/W3

Click here for the application form: Job Posting