Succession Institute Management

The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS focuses on methodological techniques and approaches in the fields of materials science and materials engineering. Acting as a point of contact for industry and the public sector for all issues relating to the microstructure of materials and systems, Fraunhofer IMWS aims to enhance material efficiency, boost profitability and minimize the use of resources. To achieve this, Fraunhofer IMWS conducts applied pre-competitive research in the business fields of electronics, renewable energies, polymer processing, biological materials, optics and chemical conversion processes. It also develops methods and equipment for analyzing and characterizing microstructures.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences II at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg conducts research and teaching in the fields of chemistry, physics and mathematics. Key areas of research include synthetic and biological macromolecules, solid state physics (interfaces and nanostructures), and materials for energy conversion and storage.

Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Fraunhofer IMWS have been working together since 2006 on microstructure-based materials design. This new professorship in Materials Diagnostics and Structure is combined with a parallel post as director of the Fraunhofer IMWS, a position that involves the management and development of the scientific, technical and business aspects of the institute in line with the Fraunhofer model and Fraunhofer’s overall strategy.

In addition to scientific excellence, this requires the ability to manage an institute with approximately 260 employees at four branches, to achieve the visibility of the institute with clients from industry and the public sector, and to ensure the acquisition of the corresponding project funds by defining the strategic guidelines of the institute oriented to their needs.

A new Director of the institute is wanted after Prof. Ralf Wehrspohn, who had headed the institute since 2006, was appointed to the board of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in October 2019. Since then, his former deputy, Prof. Matthias Petzold, has taken over the management of Fraunhofer IMWS on an interim basis.

The joint appointment follows the so-called Berlin model. In order to lead the Fraunhofer Institute, the university professorship is not placed on leave, as in the Jülich model. Instead, the jointly appointed person is assigned by the university to carry out research and management tasks to Fraunhofer IMWS. These tasks are therefore carried out within the framework of the main office as a professor, thereby maintaining teaching and examination obligations as well as the rights and duties of academic self-government. In return, however, there is a large reduction in the research and teaching obligations at the university.

Applications with an included résumé, a list of publications, certificates and diplomas, a description of the academic career and past previous teaching and research activities – including any projects funded by third parties – and  home and business addresses can be sent to BOTH the following addresses by August 29, 2020:

Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Dekan der Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät II
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Binder
06099 Halle
Germany
Alternatively, you can send your application by e-mail as a PDF file to dekan@natfak2.uni-halle.de.

Präsident der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer
Hansastraße 27c
80686 München
Germany
or by e-mail to praesident@fraunhofer.de