Endowed Full Professorship of Artificial Intelligence (full-time, open rank)

BECHER GmbH & Co. KG; Friedrichshafen; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Zeppelin University invites applications for an Endowed Full Professorship of Artificial Intelligence in Friedrichshafen, supported by ZF Friedrichshafen AG. The appointment covers teaching, research, and leadership in AI across disciplines, with emphasis on responsible AI and socio-technical applications.

The successful candidate will collaborate with other endowed chairs, contribute to expert education, and promote innovation in a digitally oriented, international environment in Lake Constance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Artificial Intelligence and ML/AI systems development.
• Interdisciplinary research agenda in AI with topics such as ML, DL, AI systems, HRI, and responsible AI.
• Experience in acquiring third-party funding and collaboration with industry is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide university-wide teaching in AI topics (Intro to AI, ML, DL, Generative AI, AI systems, Explainable AI, Responsible AI, HRI, AI in society).
• Supervise research, projects, and theses across study programs and the Graduate School.
• Contribute to transfer activities with industry and societal partners; support internationalization and strategic development.

Skills

Artificial Intelligence

Machine Learning

Deep Learning

AI Systems

Human-AI Interaction

Responsible AI

Interdisciplinary Research

Education

PhD in relevant field

Doctoral degree required

Job description

Zeppelin University (ZU) in Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance is a state-approved privately endowed university with BA, MA, and PhD programs in the fields of economics, politics and psychology. ZU is dedicated to multidisciplinarity, internationality and individuality in both research and teaching.

Zeppelin University invites applications for the position of a Endowed Full Professorship of Artificial Intelligence (Full Time, Open Rank) to be filled at the earliest possible date.

Zeppelin University (ZU) is establishing a new Endowed Professorship in Artificial Intelligence, as part of its strategic repositioning. This professorship, funded by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, serves as a key strategic pillar to strengthen evidence based, data driven education across all disciplines and to advance ZU’s profile at the intersection of technology, society, and responsible leadership.

Candidate Profile

You have proven experience in Artificial Intelligence (developing Intelligent Models, ML & AI Systems, algorithmic decision-making). Your academic background is in computer science, mathematics, statistics, econometrics, or related fields. You are developing an interdisciplinary research agenda in AI, covering topics such as:

• Machine Learning: supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning
• Deep learning: neural networks, representation learning, generative models
• AI Systems: model deployment, evaluation, and lifecycle management
• Human-AI Interaction: explainability, transparency, and trust
• Responsible AI: fairness, accountability, ethics, and governance
• AI for Socio-Technical Systems and Real-World Applications

You have experience in the successful acquisition of third party funding (research grants). Experiences in collaboration with industry would also be anadvantage.

Responsibilities

• As a professor in Artificial Intelligence, you will provide university wide teaching, e.g., courses like Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Generative AI, AI Systems and Model Deployment, Explainable AI and Responsible AI, Human-AI Interaction and AI in Society. You will supervise research, project, and thesis work across all study programs and the Graduate School. You will also contribute to transfer activities with industry and societal partners. A commitment to academic self governance, internationalization, and strategic development of Zeppelin University is also expected.

You will work in close collaboration with the other chairs endowed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG – the Chair of Data Science & Data Engineering, and the Chair of Systems of Virtual Reality – which is a core element of the research and teaching strategy. XR applications generate extensive interaction and process data that require systematic analysis. In this context, the Chair of Systems of Virtual Reality will provide data sources, the Chair of Data Science & Data Engineering will supply necessary data infrastructures and methodological foundations, while the Chair of Artificial Intelligence will use these data for sophistical analyses and data modelling.

The position centers on extracting value from such data through advanced AI methods and offers opportunities to contribute to research on responsible AI in socio technical contexts. This creates a clear link to the ZF Endowed Chair of Data Science and Data Engineering, which provides the data infrastructure, pipelines, and reproducible data management on which such analysis builds. Together, the endowed chairs enable integrated research, joint teaching formats, and practice oriented transfer activities, forming a coherent interdisciplinary environment for innovation and scientific excellence.

By joining Zeppelin University, you will shape a new generation of leaders who combine analytical excellence, technological literacy, and societal responsibility. You will play a significant role in positioning the university for the digital age. You will teach courses that are characterized by small class sizes and close interaction with our highly motivated students. Working with ZU, you will enjoy one of the most beautiful and prosperous areas in Germany, the Lake Constance region, which offers a wealth of recreational opportunities. Lake Constance is located between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

To be eligible for the position, applicants must meet the requirements for appointment pursuant to

• 47 of the Higher Education Act of the State of Baden-Württemberg. In particular, they must hold a doctoral degree in the relevant discipline and demonstrate a track record of significant independent research contributions to the field.

Zeppelin University is an equal opportunity employer. The university is committed to fostering a family-friendly work environment and promoting gender equality in academia. We therefore especially encourage applications from female scholars. Applicants with disabilities who are equally qualified will be given preferential consideration.

CONTACT

Zeppelin Universität gGmbH | Am Seemooser Horn 20 | D-88045 Friedrichshafen

For any questions, please refer to the head of the selection committee, Prof. Dr. Martin Elff, [e-mail]