Overview
Assistant Professor Tenure Track Transition for Hebrew Bible Studies / Old Testament. The position is to be occupied as of August 1, 2026, at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Bern.
Responsibilities and goals
* Represent the subject in research and teaching focusing on the areas “Material Culture and History of Israel and its Environment” or “(History of) Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Bible”.
* Work closely with the Lectureship “Biblical Theology and Its Contemporary Relevance.”
* If needed, acquire German language skills and be able to teach courses in German within two years of taking up the position.
* Complete a postdoctoral qualification if not already obtained and establish or expand your own research and teaching profile.
* Contribute to successful acquisition of research funding, supervise bachelor’s and master’s theses as well as dissertations, engage in international networking, and participate in academic self-governance.
Qualifications and requirements
* Outstanding doctoral degree in Old Testament, Hebrew Bible Studies, or a related field.
* Excellent command of biblical languages; knowledge of ancient Oriental languages is desirable.
* Willingness to develop teaching and research profile; university-level teaching experience or relevant teaching qualifications are welcomed.
Application documents and deadline
For your application, please submit: a letter of motivation outlining your research profile and motivation for the position; your current résumé; a complete list of publications and courses taught to date, including evaluation results; a research proposal for the next five years; a brief outline of your postdoctoral qualification project (if available); a teaching concept describing your didactic approaches and ideas about teaching; and details of any external funding.
Please send your application as a single PDF file by October 15, 2025 to:
University of Bern, Dean's Office at the Faculty of Theology, Länggassstrasse 51, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
e-mail: dekanat@theol.unibe.ch
Contact
Chair of the Commission: Prof. Dr. Mathias Wirth (e-mail: mathias.wirth@unibe.ch). Information on the faculty: Institute of Old Testament Studies.
Equal opportunity and working conditions
The University of Bern is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer that values diversity and promotes an inclusive work culture. We encourage applications from suitable candidates who have the potential for transformational leadership and who will help promote a stimulating research culture. We welcome candidates with skills in teamwork and communication and those able to manage complex situations. The University of Bern is committed to increasing the proportion of women in academic leadership positions and strongly encourages female academics to apply. Flexible working-time models and job-sharing are supported, with a concept for collaboration required for job-sharing applications (see guidelines).
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