Postdoctoral Researcher as Research Group Leader in Robotics

Uni Hannover; Garbsen; Hybride; EUR 65 000 - 75 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Mobil arbeiten möglich

Kinderbetreuung / Familienfreundliches

Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten

Résumé du poste

Die Leibniz Universität Hannover sucht eine/n Postdoktorand/in als Forschungsgruppensleiter/in im Bereich Robotik am IMES in Garbsen. Sie führen eine etablierte Forschungsgruppe mit drei Doktorand/innen, gestalten die Forschungsagenda und bauen Drittmittel auf.

Sie arbeiten eng mit der Institutsleitung und den Gruppenleitern zusammen, publizieren international, übernehmen Lehrverpflichtungen und tragen zur strategischen Entwicklung des Instituts bei.

Qualifications

• Voraussetzung ist ein abgeschlossenes Hochschulstudium (Master/Diplom oder äquivalent) in Robotik oder einem verwandten Fach.
• Eine mit sehr gutem Ergebnis absolvierte Doktorarbeit in Robotik oder einem eng verwandten Feld ist wünschenswert.
• Ausgeprägte Publikationserfahrung in international anerkannten Fachzeitschriften und Konferenzen.

Responsabilités

• Mentoring und Betreuung der Gruppe von drei Doktorandinnen/Doktoranden sowie wissenschaftliche Betreuung.
• Entwicklung der Forschungsagenda zusammen mit dem Team und dem Institutsleiter.
• Drittmittelakquise und -koordination (DFG, EU, Industrie).
• Veröffentlichung und Präsentation der Ergebnisse in Fachzeitschriften und auf Konferenzen.
• Lehre: Durchführung von Lehrveranstaltungen, Prüfungstätigkeit und Betreuung von Abschlussarbeiten.
• Mitwirkung in der Führungsstruktur des Instituts und Repräsentation nach außen.

Connaissances

Mentoring Erfahrung

Forschungsführung

Teamarbeit

Formation

Doktorabschluss in Robotik oder verwandtem Gebiet

Description du poste

Postdoctoral Researcher as Research Group Leader in Robotics

(salary scale 14 TV-L, 100 %)

Nestled in a modern city surrounded by nature and with an exceptional standard of living, Leibniz University Hannover offers excellent working conditions in a vibrant scientific community.

The Institute of Mechatronic Systems (IMES) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is dedicated to research and teaching on the development of intelligent and autonomous mechatronic systems – with applications in robotics, production engineering, vehicle technology and medical technology. In three research groups – Learning & Control, Biomedical Engineering and Robotic Systems – we bring together artificial intelligence, control engineering and robotics.

The Institute of Mechatronic Systems welcomes applications for the following position starting 1 February 2027: Postdoctoral Researcher as Research Group Leader in Robotics (salary scale 14 TV-L, 100 %)

The position is limited to three years. We are happy to clarify questions regarding the permissible fixed-term period with you in advance. The position is based at the Mechanical Engineering campus in Garbsen.

Why IMES?

At IMES, we advance the science of robotics to expand what robots can do in the real world. Our research connects fundamental scientific questions with ambitious applications through close collaboration with partners in academia and industry. Our strengths include:

• International visibility: We regularly contribute to the leading robotics conferences such as ICRA and IROS and publish in renowned journals such as the IEEE Transactions on Robotics.
• Established expertise: The institute has a long research tradition in robotics, in particular in parallel kinematics as well as in soft and hyper-redundant robotics.
• Future topics: We do research with humanoid robots and combine artificial intelligence and control with new, self-developed robotic systems.
• Outstanding experimental facilities: Our labs offer a wide range of self-developed mobile and stationary robots. Details on our systems can be found in our scientific publications.
• Strong environment: Leibniz University Hannover is a member of TU9, the alliance of leading Technical Universities in Germany.
• New campus: Our labs are located at the modern Mechanical Engineering Campus Garbsen.
• A collaborative and supportive research culture: We work together with flat hierarchies, support each other, share knowledge and try out new ideas together.

Your role

We are looking for a robotics researcher who will further develop and lead the Robotic Systems research group together with us. From the start, you will lead an established group of three doctoral researchers, help shape the research agenda and contribute your own ideas. We expect and support you to strengthen the group by acquiring third-party funding and recruiting further doctoral researchers. You will work closely with the institute’s director and the other group leaders.

About the research group

The Robotic Systems group designs and builds new robotic systems that work safely and reliably together with people and their environment – from humanoid and collaborative robots to soft and continuum robots for medical applications. Our work ranges from mechanics, actuation and sensing to control: we combine methods of model-based control and artificial intelligence with these new systems and validate them in real applications. Current research topics include:

• Humanoid and mobile (service) robotics: locomotion, manipulation and teleoperation for real-world applications, e.g. testing and inspection tasks
• Artificial intelligence and model-based control for new robotic systems, e.g. learning-based control and imitation learning
• Human-robot collaboration, e.g. with parallel kinematic robots
• Design, modelling and control of soft, continuum and hyper-redundant robots, e.g. for medical applications

We welcome your own research ideas, whether they complement these topics or open up new directions.

Your responsibilities

• Mentoring and supervising the group’s doctoral researchers in both scientific and career-related matters
• Developing the group’s research agenda together with the team and the institute’s director
• Acquiring and coordinating third-party funded projects, e.g. with DFG, BMFTR, the EU or together with industry partners
• Publishing and presenting your research results in international journals and at conferences
• Teaching: giving courses, conducting examinations and supervising student theses
• Contributing to the institute’s leadership team on organisational and strategic matters and representing the institute in collaborations with project partners

Your profile

Prerequisite for employment is a completed university degree (Master’s, Diplom or equivalent) in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, electrical engineering, computer science or a related discipline. A doctoral degree completed with very good results in robotics or a closely related field is desirable.

In addition, we require:

• Own publications in internationally recognised robotics journals and conferences (e.g. IEEE T-RO, RA-L, ICRA, IROS)
• Sound knowledge in at least one of the areas of robotic system design (including hardware), modelling, control or learning-based methods in robotics
• Enthusiasm for mentoring and supporting doctoral researchers and students
• Willingness to take on teaching duties
• Very good written and spoken English

The following are also desirable:

• First experience as a postdoc, e.g. at another research institution
• Experience in acquiring third-party funding
• Experience in teaching and in supervising doctoral researchers
• Hands-on experience with real robotic systems, e.g. cobots, humanoid robots, soft or continuum robots, or task-specific robots in general
• German language skills or the willingness to acquire them

You do not meet every point listed? Paths into academia differ – we explicitly welcome your application if you are motivated to grow into this role.

Equal opportunities and diversity are core values at Leibniz University Hannover. Our goal is to tap into individual potential and open up possibilities. We therefore welcome applications from anyone interested in the position, irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or ideology, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity.

We strive towards a balanced and diverse workforce and a reduction in under-representation in accordance with the Lower Saxony Equal Rights Act (Niedersächsisches Gleichberechtigungsgesetz – NGG). We therefore also welcome applications from women for the above-mentioned position. Preference will be given to equally-qualified candidates with disabilities.

What we offer

• Substantial freedom to shape research, teaching and the development of your group
• Opportunities to advance your academic career: you design your own courses, gain experience in supervising doctoral researchers and can pursue a habilitation if you wish – a strong basis for your further academic path, e.g. towards a professorship
• Support for attending international conferences and expanding your scientific network
• A good work-life balance, including:
  - Part-time options, also in leadership positions
  - Mobile work and home office by arrangement
  - Back-up childcare, childcare during school holidays, parent-child offices and individual advice on family and care responsibilities
• Comprehensive training opportunities, e.g. in leadership skills, university teaching and languages, career advice and onboarding for postdocs by the Graduate Academy, as well as individual coaching and networking formats for women researchers (e.g. SHE talks) by the Office for Equal Opportunities and Diversity (Hochschulbüro für ChancenVielfalt)
• An extensive sports programme with more than 100 sports as well as health management measures

Application process & timeline

• Invitations to interviews: first week of December 2026
• Interviews: expected in mid-December 2026
• Curriculum vitae including a list of publications and links to your Google Scholar and ORCID profiles, as well as your experience in supervising students and doctoral researchers, in acquiring third-party funding and in teaching
• Concept for the further development of the research group (max. two pages) outlining your research interests and a short outline of two possible PhD topics
• Up to three selected publications to which you made a major contribution
• Certificates for your doctoral, Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees or equivalent qualifications
• Names and contact details of two referees. Letters of reference will only be requested after an invitation to an interview and should then be sent to us directly by the referees. Please inform your referees in good time.

We warmly welcome international applications. The working language in our team is English and German.