Position of Managing Director of CDE

The Faculty of Science of the University of Bern, Switzerland, invites applications for the position of

Managing Director of the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) and Professor for Sustainable Development

(Associate Professor 100%)

University of Bern Main Building

Announcement

The University of Bern invites applications for the position of Managing Director of the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) and Professor for Sustainable Development (CDE). The detailed job announcement can be found here:


For further information on this position, please contact Prof. Dr. Ben Jann, President of the CDE Board: ben.jann@unibe.ch.

Expected starting date is 1 January 2028 or upon agreement. Working place is at the University of Bern.

Timeline

The deadline for applications is 31 August 2026.
Invitations to the symposium can be expected in the second half of October 2026.
The symposium will most likely take place in early December 2026.
Expected starting date of the position is 1 January 2028 (or upon agreement).

 

Applications

To apply for the position you must complete this form.

Furthemore, you must submit your application electronically as one PDF file no later than 31 August 2026 to the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Science, University of Bern, applications.natdek@unibe.ch.

The application PDF includes:

  • Letter of Motivation (max. 1 page)
  • CV and Output List
  • Your leadership experience and your vision for CDE (max. 3 pages), including:
    • Leadership in research, education, and service in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contexts; your management experience, leadership principles, intercultural ambitions, experience and ideas to foster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and experience fostering partnerships with non-academic actors;
    • Potential challenges, opportunities, and your vision for the centre’s future development in the field of transformations for sustainable development;
    • Opportunities and challenges at the University of Bern and/or CDE
  • Research and teaching statement (max. 2 pages).

In line with its commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment, the University of Bern actively seeks to increase the proportion of women and other underrepresented groups in leadership positions. We warmly encourage such candidates to apply. Applications involving job sharing will be considered. As a signatory of the DORA declaration, the University of Bern applies the declaration’s principles to ensure fair and transparent recruitment.