W2 Professorship “Sustainable Freight Transport Systems and Transport Logistics”

University of Kassel; Kassel; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kassel invites applications for a W2 Professorship in Sustainable Freight Transport Systems and Transport Logistics. The appointee will conduct inter- and transdisciplinary research at the intersection of value chains, freight transport, and sustainable production systems, linking sustainability analytics with transport logistics.

Teaching duties are split 50/50 between sustainability-focused programs and the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.

Qualifications

• Completed, qualified doctorate as required.
• Habilitation or equivalent additional academic achievements.
• Pedagogical aptitude and commitment to teaching.
• Willingness for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent inter- and transdisciplinary research in sustainable freight transport.
• Develop courses and study programs, with 50% teaching in sustainability-related programs and 50% in Civil & Environmental Engineering.
• Teach some courses in English; improve German language proficiency if needed.
• Collaborate with the Kassel Institute for Sustainability and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; network with Economics and Mechanical Engineering departments.

Skills

Systemic analysis

Freight transport modeling

Sustainability evaluation

Data collection & analysis

AI methods

Education

Doctorate (PhD) in a relevant field

Habilitation or equivalent

Pedagogical aptitude

Job description

The University of Kassel is a dynamic institution with around 21.000 students. It boasts an exceptionally broad profile with areas of expertise in nature, technology, culture, and society. The Kassel Institute for Sustainability and the Institute of Transportation Studies in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Kassel are jointly seeking to fill, at the earliest possible date, the W2 Professorship “Sustainable Freight Transport Systems and Transport Logistics”

Application deadline: 30.12.2026

Date of hire: as soon as possible

Vacancy number: 39565

We are seeking an academically outstanding individual (m/f/d) who will make an independent inter- and transdisciplinary contribution to research in the field of sustainable freight transport systems and logistics. The content focus is at the intersection of value chains, freight transport, and sustainable production systems. The professorship shall connect and strengthen the sustainability-related systems analytical topics at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability and the transportation science topics in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Moreover, there is an aim to foster networking in the fields of supply chains and intralogistics with the relevant departments of Economics and Mechanical Engineering. This is intended to further the interdisciplinary interaction between technical and societal research approaches and to advance the research focus on sustainable transformation at the University of Kassel.

The professorship should focus on at least one of the following topics:

• Systemic analysis of the interdependencies between freight transport systems, trade, and economic development: Origin of freight transport, economic and ecological evaluation of interregional division of labor, interactions between infrastructure (e.g., rail), regional production clusters and division of labor, as well as sustainable design of these relationships.
• Modeling of the freight transport system: Development and application of scenarios and models for the origin, development, and management of freight transport, infrastructure development and the associated policy instruments, as well as the advancement of corresponding methods.
• Development and application of comprehensive approaches for sustainability evaluation of the ecological, social, and economic effects of strategies and interventions in freight transport, as well as, based on these, the design of a sustainable freight transport system.
  

Experience in the collection, analysis, and management of data in the context of the transformation towards a sustainable freight transport system is also desirable, including the consideration of AI methods: development of data collection procedures and methods of data analysis and data-driven forecasts based on statistical and AI methods, issues regarding the (public) availability and use of data.

In teaching, the professorship should supplement and enhance existing degree programs in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and to develop new or emerging study programs with a focus on sustainability. Teaching responsibilities are to be divided, with 50% in sustainability-related degree programs and 50% in offerings within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Some courses must be taught in English. It is expected that the appointee, especially regarding official duties in teaching and academic self-administration, will acquire sufficient proficiency in the German language in due course, if not already possessed.

The main location for the professorship will be at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability.

Special notes: The department aims to increase the proportion of female professors and expressly encourages female scientists to apply.

The requirements for appointment and performance are in accordance with

• 67, 68 HessHG. Specifically, a completed, qualified doctorate as well as a habilitation or equivalent additional academic achievements, as evidenced by scientific publications, are required. You should also possess pedagogical aptitude and commitment to academic teaching, as well as a pronounced willingness for interdisciplinary collaboration.
  

Please submit a curriculum vitae, certificates, diplomas, a list of scientific works, three selected publications, a research and teaching concept (maximum three pages each), as well as a list of previous courses taught, existing teaching evaluations, and any higher education didactic trainings with your application.

Additionally, please submit a brief concept (maximum three pages) outlining your ideas for a professional and institutional connection to the Kassel Institute for Sustainability.

For questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Angela Francke, Tel.: [phone], Email: angela.francke(at)uni-kassel.de.

In the event of any differences between the German and English versions of this call for application, the German wording is legally binding.

We have complied further information for you in our FAQ

• The protection of your personal information is very important to us, so we will handle your personal information with care. By your application, you allow us the storage and use in the sense of the Hessian Data Protection and Freedom of Information Act. You can object to this at any time. Your personal data will be deleted. Information according to Art. 13 DSGVO for the application process at the University of Kassel can be found at:
  

https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/datenschutz/

Information and FAQ about applying for a job offer:

https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/universitaet/stellenangebote/hinweise-und-faq-zur-bewerbung-auf-ein-stellenangebot

The University of Kassel is very interested in the professional satisfaction of its employees. It is distinguished as a family-friendly university and, in the interests of equal opportunities, strives to offer everyone the same opportunities for development and to counteract existing disadvantages. It promotes the Family Welcome Service and also the Dual Career Service for positions that are scientifically and academically filled. One of the strategic goals of the University of Kassel is to significantly increase the proportion of women in research and teaching. Applications from women are therefore particularly welcome. Seriously handicapped and equivalent applicants are given preference if they have the same suitability, qualifications and professional performance.