Institute Director (m/f/d) Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases

The Friedrich Loeffler Institut is part of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity and is one of the world’s leading research institutes in the field of animal health. It educates and advises the Federal Government in this area.

Due to the retirement of the current

Head of the Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, the position of Institute Director (m/f/d) at the Greifswald – Insel Riems headquarters is to be filled as of October 1, 2025

If the career and other requirements are met, the position is intended to be filled on a permanent basis as a civil servant and the office of director and professor in salary group B2 of the federal salary scale will be transferred. Alternatively, the position may be filled as a salaried employee with non-standard remuneration in the amount of the salary according to salary grade B2 BBesO.

Tasks:

The FLI has state-of-the-art laboratories and experimental animal facilities in biological safety levels 2-4 (BSL2-4). A special infrastructure is provided by the equipment for research on and with animal models, including farm animals, in all the above-mentioned biosafety levels, including BSL4. The Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases (INNT) is a research-intensive team focusing on the topics of “BSL4 pathogens from livestock reservoirs” and “arbovirus infections in vertebrates” and basic and application-oriented research in these areas, primarily in the S3 and S4 security areas, forms the basis for diagnostics and policy advice within the reference laboratories located at INNT (e.g.: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, filoviruses, West Nile virus). In the future, the above-mentioned topics will be further developed, particularly in the area of BSL4 pathogens, under the responsibility of the future institute management with regard to host-pathogen interactions and will be increasingly incorporated into inter-institutional formats. The INNT is closely involved in a wide range of national and international collaborations and projects for pre-pandemic preparedness against highly pathogenic zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, participation in national and international committees will be an important management task in the future. In addition to its work on host-pathogen interactions of highly pathogenic viruses with zoonotic potential and high protection level classification, the institute also houses the national reference laboratory for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Further information on the INNT can also be found at Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases (INNT) | Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut.

Requirements:

We are looking for a highly qualified scientist, particularly in the field of veterinary medicine, medicine, life sciences, or related sciences. The successful candidate will have many years of experience in the field of highly pathogenic zoonotic pathogens. The position requires a university degree, a doctorate, and additional scientific achievements, which are usually obtained in the context of a junior/assistant professorship, a habilitation, or equivalent achievements.

Many years of experience and expertise in research and project work and management on host-pathogen interactions in biological safety level 4 pathogens are particularly relevant.

In addition, we expect relevant experience in leading your own working group or department, as well as in taking on administrative tasks and strategic team development, in order to fulfill the management tasks associated with the position.

Actively promoting collegial cooperation with other FLI institutes, especially for collaboration in the area of BSL4 infrastructure, and with relevant university and non-university partners is an important task of the institute management.

Skills in team-oriented leadership of employees, excellent communication skills, experience in acquiring third-party funding, experience in working in national and international committees and teams, and very good English and German language skills or the willingness to acquire them are also essential.

The position involves working in the security sector, which requires a security clearance check in accordance with the Security Clearance Act and special precautions against health hazards. Personal and health suitability are therefore prerequisites for filling this position.

BMLEH and FLI have set themselves the goal of increasing the proportion of women in management positions and expressly encourage women to apply. To support the compatibility of family and career, the FLI offers flexible working time models within the scope of its official duties. We are committed to a family-friendly working environment and actively support the search for childcare. The FLI’s social benefits include a company health and reintegration management program, company social counseling, and capital-forming benefits.

Disabled persons will be given special consideration if they are equally qualified; they are required to have a minimum level of physical fitness in accordance with the requirements for work in high-security areas. Proof must be provided.

In line with our international orientation, we welcome applications from people of all nationalities and ethnicities.

Further information can be obtained from the chair of the appointment committee (Prof. Dr. Kühn, +49-38351-7-1102; email: leitungsbuero-fli@fli.de).

We look forward to receiving your application by 31 August 2025. Please send your application with relevant qualifications, in particular your CV, references and list of publications by 31 August 2025, with the subject line ‘Position 040/25’, preferably by email as a single PDF file (up to 30 MB) to 040.25@fli.de. Alternatively, you can send them by post to Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Referat 12, Postfach 1318, 17466 Greifswald, Germany. Please note that incomplete applications may result in exclusion from the application process.

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