University professorship - pay grade W3

The professorship represents the field of "Environmental Planning" in research and teaching. It addresses formal and informal instruments of spatial and landscape-related environmental planning in national and international contexts. These include, among others, landscape planning in Germany and environmental and spatial planning in other countries, planning and management of protected areas, environmental and landscape planning based on EU directives/regulations, as well as concepts and strategies for green infrastructure, climate protection and adaptation, and biodiversity. Environmental assessment instruments are explicitly not included. The focus is on the need for further development of the above instruments in terms of content and methodology, as well as on questions regarding the future development of goals and strategies for nature conservation as societal field of action.

The areas covered by the professorship are to be addressed against the background of significant ecosystem and societal changes. This involves considering globally relevant processes and relationships alongside those at the supranational (EU), national, regional, and local levels – including their interactions. The analysis and further development of goals, strategies, instruments, and methods of environmental planning and nature conservation are not restricted to Germany.

The tasks resulting from the outlined focal points and research fields are handled by the Chair of Environmental Planning based on a high level of expertise in planning science and planning practice, as well as comprehensive knowledge of nature conservation in its planning-related and social context. As a result, interfaces with the ecological sciences, geoinformation processing, landscape architecture, and the social sciences, political sciences, economic sciences, and humanities play an important role.

The teaching of the Chair in German and English is an integral part of the degree programs "Ecology and Environmental Planning" (Bachelor & Master) as well as the international, English-language Master's program "Environmental Planning". Additionally, students from the programs in Urban Ecosystem Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Transportation Planning, and Sociology and others attend the courses. The successful candidate will assume responsibility for and further develop the existing courses, in particular the study projects. Interalia, the Chair aims at increasingly interdisciplinary integration of the courses into other degree programs within Faculty VI in the future.

Further responsibilities of the professorship include leading and managing the chair and its staff; supporting the advancement of junior scientists, women, and diversity; knowledge transfer; initiatives to promote internationalization; work in the areas of gender and diversity and sustainability; as well as committee work.

Candidates must fulfill the hiring requirements pursuant to Section 100 of the Berlin State Higher Education Act (BerlHG). These include a university degree in environmental/landscape planning, ecology and environmental planning, or a comparable subject; a particular aptitude for academic work (usually demonstrated by the quality of the applicant’s doctorate in the aforementioned fields), additional academic achievements (usually a positively evaluated junior professorship, a "Habilitation" or achievements equivalent to a "Habilitation"), and an aptitude for teaching documented in a teaching portfolio (further information about the teaching portfolio).

Comprehensive knowledge is expected to ensure the excellent, nationally and internationally visible fulfillment of the aforementioned tasks of the Chair. This includes in-depth subject knowledge of the various instruments of spatial and landscape-related environmental planning (national, international), including their content and planning objects (environmental goods, landscapes, land use, human quality of life), theoretical and conceptual foundations, applicable methods and techniques as well as their legal, political, and societal framework conditions. Therefore, the position requires a high level of fundamental knowledge of the interfaces between natural and social sciences. Equally important is knowledge of the goals, tasks, actors, structures, and functions of nature conservation as a societal field of action.

In addition to the requirements referred to above, applicants are expected to possess a high level of competence in at least 4 of the 6 points listed below. For those points where a high level of competence has not yet been achieved, applicants must convincingly demonstrate how and to what extent they have already addressed the topics and how they plan to do so in the future. The examples given here are neither exhaustive nor must they be fully met.

1. Overarching formal and informal environmental goals and concepts at national and international level and their importance for environmental planning and nature conservation; e.g. socio-ecological transformation, Sustainable Development Goals, climate protection and adaptation, protection of biological diversity; including potential contributions of environmental planning and nature conservation.
2. Effects of social conditions and changes on environmental planning and nature conservation; e.g. digitalization, demographic changes, consumption behavior, increases in anti-democratic tendencies, globalization, North-South relations, neocolonial structures in nature conservation.
3. Effects of ecosystem/natural changes (on environmental planning and nature conservation), including methods for their integration into environmental planning instruments; e.g. climate change, loss of biological diversity, changes in water availability, soil loss, changes to entire landscapes.
4. Land uses and land use changes and their effects on the goals and content of nature conservation and environmental planning instruments, including the resulting synergies and conflicts; e.g. settlement, transport, agriculture, forestry, water management, tourism, energy, ressource material extraction.
5. Significance and interactions of different spatial levels in ecological and socio-political terms, e.g. regional and local effects of global climate change, effects of UN conventions and EU decisions on planning requirements in national, regional, and local contexts, telecoupling effects.
6. Planning methods (existing, to be developed in the future) for the adequate management of existing and emerging environmental planning and nature conservation-related tasks due to societal and ecosystem/natural changes; e.g. landscape analysis and assessment, scenario planning, backcasting, conservation standards, participation.

The ability to engage in inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation with partners from science, society, and business is as important for the professorship as is the willingness to engage in academic self-governance and to further develop the core degree programs.

The Technische Universität Berlin expects its professors to be willing and competent to take responsibility for the management and strategic development of their chair and its staff. In particular, this includes an awareness of the special responsibility of creating gender and diversity-sensitive work and study conditions. The willingness and ability to promote young scholars, women, and social diversity as well as to participate in academic self-governance, is required. The willingness and ability to provide new ideas for internationalization and sustainability-oriented actions in research and teaching is expected. Experience with initiatives in science communication and knowledge transfer is desirable.

As an internationally recognized university, we requireexcellent English-language skills and explicitly welcome applications from non-German-speaking scientists. Since courses are also to be taught in German, proficiency or the willingness to learn the German language as quickly as possible is expected (see also latest information provided by the Appointments Office).

A dual appointment (shared professorship) is not possible.

Technische Universität Berlin is seeking to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and actively encourages applications from suitably qualified female candidates. Preference will be given to applicants with severe disabilities who equally fulfill the requirements of the position. TU Berlin values the diversity of its members and is committed to equality of opportunity. Applications from people of all nationalities and with a migration background are very welcome. We are a certified family-friendly university and our Dual Career Service can assist you and your family with your move to Berlin.

Please submit your application in English quoting the reference by email in a single PDF file to bewerbungen@fak6.tu-berlin.de by 31 January 2025. Your application must include your CV, references, concept for research and teaching, teaching portfolio, a list of acquired external funding, and a complete list of publications and talks indicating the five publications you regard as your most significant. Electronic documents submitted using cloud services such as WE-Transfer or Dropbox cannot be accepted. Please address your application to Technische Universität Berlin – Die Präsidentin, Dekanin der Fakultät VI Planen Bauen Umwelt, Sekr. A1, Straße des 17. Juni 152, 10623 Berlin.

For further information concerning the application process, please send an email to berufungen@fak6.tu-berlin.de Specific questions relating to the position should also be sent to this address so that they can be forwarded to the chair of the appointment committee.

By submitting your application via email, you give your consent to the electronic processing and storage of your data. Please note that we cannot guarantee the protection of your personal data when submitted as an unprotected file. Information on the processing of your data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation can be found on the website of the personnel department: https://www.tu.berlin/abt2-t/services/rechtliches/datenschutzerklaerung-bei-bewerbungen

Technische Universität Berlin - Die Präsidentin - Dekanin der Fakultät VI Planen Bauen Umwelt, Prof. Dr. Wellner, Straße des 17. Juni 152, 10623 Berlin