Junior Professorship in Economics – Microeconomics
Official Job Posting PDFs
Job offer for the junior professorship VWL MIKRO (official German version)
Application Deadline: 02.04.2026
Junior Professorship in Economics – Microeconomics (pay grade W1 with tenure track to W3 LBesO W)
(this translation is for your convenience only, the legally binding job offer is the (German) pdf equivalent)
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen is looking to fill the following position starting 1st April 2027:
Junior Professor in Economics – Microeconomics (W1 with tenure track to W3)
We are looking for an outstanding early-career researcher (m/f/x) in microeconomics who is internationally connected, brings innovative research ideas and actively contributes to the faculty’s research and teaching activities.
The professorship plays a pivotal role in integration within the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Accordingly, collaborations with other research groups within the faculty are encouraged, for example with CINCH, its research centre for health economics; the House of Energy, Climate and Finance (HECF); and the Mercator School of Management. The faculty also maintains close cooperation with the Essen-based RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and, within the framework of the University Alliance Ruhr, with the neighbouring universities in Bochum and Dortmund. We further expect extensive international experience and strong integration into the global academic community, ideally including ongoing international collaborations, and anticipate that the successful candidate will contribute to the Ruhr Graduate School in Economics.
The professorship includes teaching in microeconomics and general economics at both bachelor’s and master’s levels. Master’s courses may be taught in English. German language skills are desirable for bachelor-level teaching but are not required within the first three years. The teaching environment is decidedly international, with students from a wide range of countries.
Publications in peer-reviewed journals and experience in conducting externally funded projects are desirable.
According to the current regulations, the required teaching load is four (45-minute) teaching units of classes per week during the first employment phase and five in the second employment phase of the junior professorship. If the legal requirements for civil servants are met, the Junior Professor will be appointed as a civil servant for a fixed term of three years. It is intended to extend the civil servant status for another three years upon positive assessment. In addition, the position includes a tenure track option for a full professorship in the W3 salary band in accordance with LBesO W.
The University of Duisburg-Essen places particular emphasis on teaching quality. Therefore, candidates must outline their didactic approach, also taking the profile of the University of Duisburg-Essen into consideration.
Criteria for appointment are based on Section 36 of the North Rhine-Westphalian Higher Education Act (Hochschulgesetz NRW; HG).
The University of Duisburg-Essen aims to promote the diversity of its members (https://www.uni-due.de/diversity/en/). It strives to increase the proportion of women in its academic staff and therefore strongly encourages women with relevant qualifications to apply. If two candidates are equally qualified, women will be given preference as stipulated in the Equal Opportunities Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz; LGG NRW). Applications from qualified candidates with disabilities or equivalent status as defined in Section 2 (3) of Book IX of the German Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch; SGB IX) are encouraged.
Applications should include the usual documents (CV including information on both your academic and professional experience; a list of academic publications; copies of relevant certificates; a description of your research profile and the resulting perspectives for the University of Duisburg-Essen; a teaching and learning concept that takes the University of Duisburg-Essen’s profile into account; information on your teaching activities, your involvement in academic self-governance and external funds that you have obtained to date) and need to be send until 2nd April 2026 via email with a PDF file with the subject line ‘Application Micro’ to the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Prof. Dr. Erwin Amann, at dekanat (at) wiwi-essen.uni-due.de
University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE)
We are a young, innovative university located in the heart of the Ruhr metropolis. We pride ourselves on outstanding research and teaching, think in terms of opportunities rather than limitations and develop ideas with a view to the future. Diversity is an integral part of our culture as we promote potential and are committed to upholding genuine equity in education.
Located in the heart of the Ruhr metropolis, the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is one of
Germany’s largest universities and also among its strongest in research. The courses range from the humanities, social sciences and educational sciences via economics and business studies all the way to the engineering sciences, computer sciences and natural sciences (including medicine).
UDE embodies responsibility for the future. Our values – openness and internationality, diversity, equal opportunity and sustainability – guide our actions, research, teaching and learning.
UDE’s research profile is distinguished by the strategic identification, consistent promotion and systematic advancement of promising, innovative ideas – and this is true of both fundamental and applied research and extends to the transfer of knowledge into industry and society.Our many internal and affiliated institutes also bear witness to this.
The cornerstones of UDE’s research profile are the University-wide strategic research areas, which are shaped and advanced by numerous researchers in twelve faculties and fourteen inter-faculty research centres. Cooperative research projects have just as vital a place here as excellent individual research.
With innovative and digitally supported teaching and learning concepts, UDE enables re- search-based learning from the start. The University offers around 38,000 students from 130 countries a wide range of courses of study, including teacher training.
UDE is considered a paradigm throughout Germany of how equity in education can be implemented at a university with a strong track record in research. Numerous measures and projects are in place to support talented young people and offer them prospects. UDE considers itself a vibrant environment of diversity and openness where students, researchers and staff can realise their potential and willingness to perform.
In a strategic partnership, UDE is affiliated with Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) and TU Dortmund University. Together, they form the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) and collaborate closely to achieve excellence in research and teaching. With more than 110,000 students and almost 14,000 researchers, the UA Ruhr is one of the largest and best-
performing academic hubs in Germany. The UA Ruhr’s top-level international research on pressing issues of the future has been consolidated under the umbrella of the Research Alliance Ruhr.
In addition, UDE maintains partnerships with over 100 universities around the globe and is a founding member of the Aurora European university network, which offers cross-border study programmes.
Learn more: https://www.uni-due.de/imperia/md/content/dokumente/im-age_broschuere_en.pdf
UDE as an employer
Seal of quality from the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers
The University of Duisburg-Essen bears the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers’ (DHV) seal of quality for the fair and transparent nature of its appointment proceedings; this seal was first earned in August 2014, with successful re-audits in 2017 and 2022.
Learn more: https://www.uni-due.de/verwaltung/berufungsmanagement/
Family-friendliness
UDE systematically promotes and improves the ability of all its members to balance family life with research, work and studying, which it underscored as early as 2010 with its successful participation in the family-friendly university audit (audit Familiengerechte Hochschule). In 2022, UDE joined the Verein Familie in der Hochschule e.V. (family in higher education association) and established the UDE-wide Netzwerk Familie* (family network). This was followed in 2024 by participation in the North Rhine-Westphalia state programme Vereinbarkeit Beruf & Pflege (reconciling work and care duties).
The Diversity Support Center at UDE offers support through the Family Service Office. Its offerings include personalised consultation on topics related to care, its own daycare facilities, flexible caregivers in emergencies and a holiday activity programme.
Learn more: https://www.uni-due.de/diversity/en/
Onboarding and Dual Career Service
The Onboarding team within the Appointment Management Department provide advice for getting started at UDE and can connect you with UDE’s other consultation services. They also organise the Dual Career Service, which offers career assistance for both you and your partner.
Learn more: https://www.uni-due.de/en/dual_career.php
Coaching and further training
We see ourselves as a university of potential and work to ensure that all UDE members can contribute and develop their talents and abilities. This includes a wide range of opportunities to develop leadership skills along with coaching for line managers.
Learn more: https://www.uni-due.de/pe/personalentwicklung
Promoting good health in the workplace
UDE’s occupational health management service works to provide a healthy and pleasant work environment as well as a culture of cooperation and trust. Staff at UDE can take advantage of a broad spectrum of in-person and online options to promote good health, comprehensive sport and fitness offerings provided by the University sport services, balanced meals in the canteens for good nutrition on campus, and many other opportunities.
Learn more: https://www.uni-due.de/pe/gesundheitsmanagement
Faculty of Business Administration and Economics
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics covers the subjects
- Business Administration
- Economics
- Economic Education
Approximately 120 researchers work in 24 working groups at the faculty, supervising around 2,200 students at the Essen campus.
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen examines current topics from economic, business administration, economic law and economic education perspectives in both research and teaching. The focus is on the structures and processes of companies, markets and organisations. Special emphasis is given to data- supported processes. The efficient design of economic structures and processes often requires systematic processing and evaluation of large amounts of data.
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics places particular emphasis on training high-performing graduates for careers in business and research as well as teaching at vocational colleges in the field of economics and administration. Research and teaching are interdisciplinary in nature. ‘Interdisciplinary networking’ is the successful model that the faculty has developed with a view to practical application. This allows students to easily switch between the faculty’s study programmes .
The main focus areas are energy economics and healthcare. These are complemented by the examination of important specific issues in the individual areas, with particular emphasis on empirical approaches. In addition to the areas that our research institutes are dedicated to, central fields of research include:
- labour market and social security, private pension schemes
- empirical economic research
- experimental economic research
- international economic relations
- capital market research
- buyer behaviour research
- human resources research
- organisational change management
- business education and economic education
Health economics research centre CINCH
CINCH, the national research centre for health economics located in Essen, has been at the forefront of empirical health economics research since its inception in 2012. Our mission is twofold: to advance cutting-edge research in health economics and to foster the training and development of junior researchers in the field.
CINCH's research is focused on three pivotal themes:
- Health as Human Capital: Investigating the determinants of individual health and examining how health influences socio-economic outcomes
- Health Insurance as a Social Protection Mechanism: Developing optimal policies for equitable risk adjustment and cost-sharing
- The Health Care Sector as a System: Analysing how healthcare providers respond to incentives.
All of our research projects are designed to have an international impact and are driven by the ambition to influence policy while meeting the highest academic standards. CINCH is deeply embedded within the international research community, maintaining strong connections with partner organizations both locally and globally.
Further information on CINCH can be found at https://cinch.uni-due.de/en/
House of Energy, Climate and Finance (HECF) – Markets, Systems and Decisions
The House of Energy, Climate and Finance aims to become Germany’s leading research institute for research at the interface between energy and finance. It builds on the expertise and international visibility of its members. The existing capabilities of the participating departments at the University of Duisburg-Essen are brought together to form a centre with international visibility that bundles research and teaching on sustainable market and trading concepts.
What makes this approach unique is the combination of methods from energy economics and financial mathematics. In addition, the centre is to serve as a hub for further energy market-related expertise. In particular, the research institute plans to integrate environmental economics and financial expertise as well as skills from computer science and engineering. The centre offers a platform for economic analysis and support for the transformation of the energy system. The House of Energy, Climate and Finance actively seeks cooperation with companies, universities and research institutions.
Further information on HECF can be found at https://hecf.wiwi.uni-due.de/en/
Studies and teaching
The research institutes not only represent the faculty’s current research priorities, but are also linked to the degree programmes offered by the faculty, particularly at master’s level.
Extensive options for specialisation and development, together with a practice-oriented curriculum, ensure that graduates leave the faculty well-trained and with excellent prospects on the job market.
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics offers the following bachelor’s programmes:
- Business Administration (B.Sc.)
- Economics (B.Sc.)
- Business/Economics Education with the option of teaching at vocational colleges (B.Sc. or B.A.)
- Major in Business/Economics Education with a minor in teaching with the option of teaching at vocational colleges (B.Sc.)
Through a choice of appropriate specialisations in the bachelor’s programme, our faculty enables a seamless transition to the corresponding master’s programmes:
- Business Administration – Energy and Finance (M.Sc.)
- Health Economics (M.Sc.)
- Markets and Companies (M.Sc.)
- Medical Management for Business Administrators (M.A.)
- Medical Management for Medical Professionals and Health Researchers (M.A.)
- Economics (M.Sc.)
- Business/Economics as vocational field of study for teaching at vocational colleges (M.Ed.)
- Major in Business/Economics Education with a minor in different fields of business administration (M.Ed.)
Together with the other economics faculties at the UA Ruhr universities and the Department of Statistics at TU Dortmund University, we also offer an English-language master’s programme in Econometrics.
Defined in the profile paper
Outfit of the Professorship
Significance and time commitment
The advertised professorship is a full-time position. According to the current regulations, the required teaching load is four (45-minute) teaching units of classes per week during the first employment phase and five in the second employment phase of the junior professorship. If the legal requirements for civil servants are met, the Junior Professor will be appointed as a civil servant for a fixed term of three years. It is intended to extend the civil servant status for another three years upon positive assessment. In addition, the position includes a tenure track option for a full professorship in the W3 salary band in accordance with LBesO W.
Appropriate participation in academic self-governance at faculty level is expected.
Information on staffing and resources
In the area of research staff, at least a position for research assistants (50% FTE) in accordance with the TV-L E13 salary scale is planned. An office administrator position (25% FTE) is also planned. Participation in the faculty’s internal allocation of material resources is mandatory.
Legal framework
Universities are public corporations with legal capacity supported by the state. State funding is based on their tasks, the obligations agreed in the higher education contract and the services provided. They have a global budget and are not subject to instructions from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
If the legal requirements are met, professors are generally employed as civil servants for life. Professors may also be employed under private law.
When filling a junior professorship, it should be noted that persons who already fulfil the recruitment requirements for a university professorship on the basis of a habilitation or in any other way may not be considered.
Further information:
- Contact persons
www.uni-due.de/verwaltung/organisation/peo_professoren.php - Appointment regulations
www.uni-due.de/imperia/md/content/zentralverwaltung/bereinigte_sammlung/2-10-mai12.pdf - Information on the appointment and recruitment procedure
www.uni-due.de/verwaltung/berufungsmanagement/
Salary
The state salary scale W regulates the official salaries for university lecturers and comprises the salary groups W 1, W 2 and W 3.
The basic salaries for W 2 and W 3 can be increased by allowances (performance-related pay). These performance-related salary components can
on the occasion of appointment and retention negotiations (appointment and retention performance-related pay),
for special achievements in research, teaching, art, continuing education and the promotion of young talent (special performance-related pay) and
for the fulfilment of functions or special tasks within the framework of university self-administration or university management (functional performance-related pay)
may be awarded.
So-called research and teaching allowances can be paid from private third-party funds under certain circumstances.
Fixed-term performance-related pay is linked to the conclusion of target and performance agreements as part of appointment and retention negotiations.
In the context of appointment negotiations, the appointment benefits are negotiated individually with the Rector of the University of Duisburg-Essen.
The current salary tables (North Rhine-Westphalia) for the salary groups W1, W2 and W3 can be found at
Information and legal bases for W salaries (NRW) can be found on the Internet at the following address:
- www.uni-due.de/verwaltung/organisation/peo_links.php
- https://www.hochschulverband.de/leistungen/wiss-nachwuchs/faq-karriere/besoldung
Further information can be found in the performance-related pay regulations at