A diverse group of eight individuals, dressed in business casual attire, wearing lanyards with conference badges, positioned indoors against a plain backdrop.

Director at Max Planck - a unique position

Max Planck directors enjoy comprehensive academic freedom and excellent working conditions, enabling them to pursue innovative research projects.

“In most cases, whatever you were doing before in academia cannot compare to what you will do at the MPG. Maturity is required to take on the kind of responsibility required.” 
Asifa Akhtar, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics and Vice President of the Biology and Medicine Section

The Max Planck Society is a world-leading institution pursuing cutting-edge basic research across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It has a long history dating back to 1911, when the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, its predecessor organisation, was founded. Research is performed at Max Planck Institutes within Germany and at a few other locations worldwide. Max Planck Directors shape and develop their Institutes in cooperation with their co-Directors, according to their scientific needs and goals. Within their independent departments, pursue bold research agendas and set their own priorities. Upon the retirement of a Director, the respective department is closed and then generally reopened for an incoming Director, who builds a new department according to their vision and research programme.

“The Max Planck Society is an outstanding organization that provides tremendous research freedom and the possibility to cooperate and collaborate with anyone in the world. Our infrastructure distinguishes us greatly from universities and allows us to carry out unique research that cannot be done elsewhere on a such a level.”
Klaus Blaum, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
“The MPG is just a different paradigm, one that really values you as a scientist and lets you stay very active in science. It gives you the resources to pursue a longer-term vision with great people. It allows you to do science the way that it should be done.”
Katherine J. Kuchenbecker, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Scientific freedom in an exceptional research environment

Core criteria for a Directorship are scientific and scholarly excellence, an innovative and visionary research program, and personal and intellectual leadership, rather than seniority. Importantly, Max Planck Directors enjoy complete scientific freedom.

The Max Planck Society offers an international and excellent research environment, outstanding infrastructure, and competitive, stable and long-term scientific funding. Excellent administrative support enables our Directors to focus on research. The Planck Academy offers a wide range of training courses – including for Max Planck Leaders.

These unique conditions enable Directors to pursue high-risk, high-reward projects with the potential to achieve breakthroughs and open up new fields. Finally, the Max Planck Institutes are well connected in the local and international research landscape, and are home to a diverse community of scientists, who work together in an open and respectful atmosphere, in accordance with our core values.

The Max Planck Society is funded primarily by the German federal government and federal states. Directors assume responsibility to the Max Planck Society, to their respective Institutes, colleagues, and employees, as well as to the German public, in accordance with applicable laws and internal guidelines.

The opportunity is unparalleled. You have guaranteed funding and complete trust. This gives you the scientific freedom to pursue research without having to pander to the hot topics of the day to secure funding. You can therefore take a long-term, more ambitious approach, which would be harder elsewhere. In return, you have a huge responsibility. The question you need to be always asking is ‘How can I make the most meaningful contribution’.
Iyad Rahwan, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development

The Max Planck Society is experiencing a large number of retirements at the director level, which presents opportunities to recruit top scientists who are able to open up and work on new fields of research.
 

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