Zürich
Head of Centre "Research & Development" in the field of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy / Mental Health 80-100% (Professorship)
- 02 September 2026
- 80 – 100%
- Permanent position
- German (Native language), English (Intermediate)
- Zürich
About the job
As a professor and head of the centre, you will assume the strategic, professional, personnel and organisational leadership of the research area and engage in other service areas of the university. You will shape the strategic development of the centre and be responsible for its positioning in the field of Research & Development. As a member of the institute management team, you will also actively contribute to the further development of the newly established Institute for Mental Health.Head of Centre "Research & Development" in the field of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy / Mental Health 80-100% (Professorship)
Department:
Applied Psychology
Start of employment:
From 1 January 2027 or by arrangement / Application deadline 23 September 2026
Tasks
- Strategic, professional, personnel and financial overall responsibility for the centre with a focus on "Research & Development" in the field of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy / Mental Health
- Overall responsibility for the centre's applied research portfolio regarding planning, implementation, acquisition of third-party funds, evaluation and publication, and networking within the R&D of the department
- Profiling of applied research topics and focal points and ensuring scientific outreach
- Acquisition of competitive research grants from academic research funding institutions (e.g. Swiss National Science Foundation, Innosuisse, EU funding)
- Budget responsibility of the centre
- Leadership, supervision and development of the centre's staff
- Design and delivery of courses at Bachelor and Master level
- Active participation in the management team of the IMH institute; active contribution to the thematic profiling of the IMH and to the transfer of science and practice through intensive collaboration and coordination with the service areas of teaching and psychotherapy/psychological counselling
Profile
- Completed university degree in Psychology (MSc) with a doctorate in a relevant field, especially Mental Health, Clinical Psychology or Health Psychology
- Recognised additional qualification as a psychotherapist desired
- At least five years of practical experience outside universities
- Proven research expertise with an excellent track record in acquiring, leading third-party funded research projects and scientific publications
- Established national and international network in the field
- Extensive experience in personnel, strategic and financial management of expert organisations
- Strong leadership, integrative personality with high social competence and pronounced role awareness
- Interest and skills in knowledge transfer, applied research and the use of synergies between applied R&D, education and services
What we stand for
The ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with over 14,000 students and more than 11,000 continuing education participants as well as around 3,700 employees, is one of the largest multi-disciplinary universities of applied sciences in Switzerland.
The Department of Applied Psychology offers a comprehensive range of education and training, diverse advisory services and practice-oriented research projects. In this breadth, psychology is uniquely represented at a Swiss university. Since 1923, we have been creating new knowledge, linking psychological insights with practical challenges and making our expertise available to business, administration and society.
The department unites three institutes: the IAP Institute for Applied Psychology, the Institute for Human, Society and Technologies, and the Institute for Mental Health. Together they stand for scientifically based, high-quality and socially relevant psychology with a strong practical focus.
With its staff, culture and diverse offerings, the Department of Applied Psychology occupies a special position in the Swiss higher education landscape.
Would you like to become part of our team and actively shape the future of Applied Psychology?
ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams to promote equality, diversity and innovation.
What we offer
We offer university-appropriate working and employment conditions and actively promote the personnel development of our employees and managers. A detailed description of the benefits can be found on the page Working at ZHAW . Here are the main points:
Contact
Prof. Dr Imke Knafla
Head of the Institute for Mental Health
Tanja Bucher
Recruiting Manager
