Coffee Chat with The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (for PhDs & Postdocs)

Learn about career opportunities at The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),  in academia, research, and innovation.  Representatives are eager to connect with PhD students and postdocs to share information about teaching and research opportunities at their institution.

Recruitment and Career Opportunities: 

KIT is actively expanding its academic staff. Between 2027 and 2032, approximately 20 professors per year are expected to be appointed, primarily in STEM fields, with a balanced proportion of tenure-track (W1) and full professorships (W3). In addition, around 60 professorships are currently in the appointment process for 2025 and 2026, mainly in engineering and the natural sciences. 

How to Schedule a Coffee Chat: 

Apply by submitting your resume/CV to the posting, then when prompted. sign up for a coffee chat time slot on Friday, March 6.

About The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): 

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), known as “The University in the Helmholtz Association”, is Germany’s only University of Excellence that also operates as a national large-scale research center. Its academic roots date back to 1825; KIT assumed its current form through the merger of the Technical University of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe Research Center. This unique structure provides outstanding conditions for research, teaching, and innovation.

With around 10,000 employees—more than half of them engaged in research—KIT is one of Europe’s largest scientific institutions. Its research portfolio spans the natural sciences, engineering, economics, as well as the humanities and social sciences, and is strongly focused on addressing major global challenges. These include climate change, the energy transition, sustainable resource use, artificial intelligence, technological sovereignty, and demographic change. Innovation and knowledge transfer are central to KIT’s mission, connecting excellent fundamental research with application-oriented solutions in close collaboration with industry and society.

KIT educates more than 20,000 students from around 120 countries and prepares them for responsible roles in science, industry, and society. It offers a unique environment in Germany by combining excellent teaching, cutting-edge research, and state-of-the-art large-scale research infrastructure, thereby enabling interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration at the highest level.

As a pioneer in science and technology, KIT is committed to questioning the status quo, exploring new paths, and actively shaping the future through its core missions of Education, Research, Innovation, and Societal Engagement. People are at the heart of KIT’s success. Supporting talent at all career stages is a strategic priority, with structured and transparent career paths for early career researchers, including comprehensive doctoral and postdoctoral support through the Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists (KHYS).

KIT is one of eleven German Universities of Excellence. Its Excellence Strategy focuses on strengthening top-level research from fundamental science to application, supported by the establishment of 100 new professorships and intensive dialogue with society. KIT currently hosts two internationally competitive Clusters of Excellence: “3D Matter Made to Order” (nanoprinting of functional materials and systems) and “Post Lithium Storage” (next-generation energy storage technologies).

Facts & Figures

• ~10,000 employees, including 415 professors and ~6,000 researchers
• ~23,000 students
• First-class research infrastructure and state-of-the-art laboratories
• Budget 2024: €1.225 billion (federal, state, and third-party funding)
• Strong focus on innovation and transfer (Top 5 German universities for spin-offs)

KIT combines tradition with transformation—advancing science, strengthening trust in research, and creating sustainable impact for society.