Junior Professor in Political Psychology & Security Studies

About the role

The School of Public Affairs at Leuphana University of Lüneburg invites applications for a junior professorship in Political Psychology, Empirical Negotiation Research and Security Studies. The position is part of the newly created Leuphana Centre for Cooperative Security and offers an early‑career researcher the chance to build an internationally visible research profile at the intersection of psychology, negotiation and security.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and lead an independent research programme on the psychological mechanisms of political negotiations in security‑related contexts (diplomacy, mediation, deterrence, crisis bargaining, etc.).
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in political psychology, negotiation research and security studies, and supervise theses.
• Contribute to the interdisciplinary activities of the Leuphana Centre for Cooperative Security, collaborating with scholars from law, economics, political science and psychology.
• Publish in high‑impact journals, secure external research funding and present findings at international conferences.
• Provide evidence‑based recommendations for policy makers, business and civil society on cooperative security solutions.

Required profile

• PhD in psychology or a closely related sub‑field (political, social, peace, military, law, environmental or community psychology).
• Early‑career researcher with a strong record of peer‑reviewed publications and a clear interest in security‑related negotiation research.
• Demonstrated ability to work in interdisciplinary teams and to engage with external stakeholders.

Required skills

What we offer

• Tenure‑track appointment (W1) with the possibility to convert to a permanent W2 professorship.
• Access to Leuphana’s research infrastructure and the collaborative environment of the Centre for Cooperative Security.
• Support for research funding applications and opportunities for international networking.