Job Description

𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 1 – 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 31 2025

Let us know by 31 October why you would make a great Max Planck Director! We welcome expressions of interest (1 page letter of motivation + CV) from established scholars and scientists who could imagine leading an department at any of our Institutes

The Max Planck Society (MPG, https://lnkd.in/dVcAt68H) is a world-leading institution pursuing basic research across the life sciences, natural sciences and the social and human sciences . Research is conducted at Max Planck Institutes (https://lnkd.in/eBF3qMQJ) in Germany and at a few other locations in Europe and the United States.
The MPG strives to recruit the strongest and most innovative scientists worldwide, particularly those working in – or capable of opening up – exciting new fields of research. The Max Planck Society is inviting expressions of interest for

Max Planck Directors

Max Planck Directors (https://lnkd.in/d7t-RagZ) are pioneering, agenda-setting researchers who jointly lead their Institutes with their fellow Directors, and pursue bold research programmes within their own departments. They enjoy complete scientific freedom. We offer an outstanding research environment that fosters creativity and scientific breakthrough, including top-tier infrastructure, an international scientific community, and competitive, stable, long-term research funding.

Core criteria for a Directorship include scientific and scholarly excellence, an innovative and visionary research programme, and personal and intellectual leadership, rather than age or seniority. In addition, Max Planck Directors demonstrate readiness to maintain an open, respectful atmosphere for our diverse community of scientists.
The MPG, as an equal opportunity employer, is committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruitment and employment. We particularly welcome expressions of interest from groups that are otherwise underrepresented in leadership positions within the MPG and its Institutes.

To submit your expressions of interest please send an updated CV (including a list of publications), as well as a maximum one-page letter of motivation, both in PDF format, to opencall.director@gv.mpg.de. For the purposes of this call, we will only accept personal expressions of interest; materials submitted on behalf of others will not be considered.

Expressions of interest should be submitted by the 31st of October 2025 and will be treated with strict confidentiality.