Professor for Accessible Communication 50%

Professor for Accessible Communication 50%

Would you like to practically investigate how language technology breaks down barriers and makes communication accessible to everyone? Then you are exactly right with us!

Department: Applied Linguistics

Start of work: February 15, 2026 or by arrangement

• Overall responsibility for the Professorship of Accessible Communication at the Institute for Multilingual Communication
• Financial management of the professorship (budget and cost center responsibility)
• Recruitment, leadership, and promotion of directly subordinate scientific staff
• Initiation, conception, and acquisition of research and service projects in the field of Accessible Communication, Multilingual Communication, and Language Technologies
• Preparation of research proposals
• Management and implementation of research and service projects
• Preparation and dissemination of research results through publications, conference, and media appearances
• Collaboration with other professorships at the Institute for Multilingual Communication
• Collaboration with those responsible for teaching and continuing education at the Institute for Multilingual Communication to (further) develop future-relevant curricula and course offerings around Accessible Communication including AI and language technologies
• Conducting courses and supervising theses at bachelor and master levels
• University degree with a doctorate in a relevant field
• Relevant practical experience (at least five years) in the fields of Accessible Communication, Language Technologies, Multilingual Communication
• Proven successful practice in third-party funding acquisition and management of research and service projects
• Good networking with relevant practice partners from Switzerland and abroad
• Proven publication activity
• Experience in teaching
• Strong innovative spirit with a view to the latest AI developments in the field of Accessible Communication
• Entrepreneurial thinking with a focus on practice- and professional field-relevant development areas
• Leadership and willingness to represent and help shape the institute
• Ability to communicate professionally in a multilingual environment (German, English, and preferably another language)

The appointment as professor is made by the University of Applied Sciences Council upon appropriate qualification.

Applications are accepted exclusively via our online form until the application deadline of January 4, 2026. Initial interviews are planned for the 3rd calendar week and second interviews in the 5th calendar week of the new year 2026. We look forward to receiving your complete application.

The ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with over 14,000 students and over 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 IMK Institute for Multilingual Communication belongs to the Department of Applied Linguistics and deals with all aspects of multilingual communication, providing the ZHAW, society, and organizations with expertise on the backgrounds of multilingual and multimodal communication, which is carried out by new technologies, by people, or by a combination of both.

The ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams to promote equality, diversity, and innovation. To increase the proportion of women in leadership positions, applications from women are particularly welcome.

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 "Working at ZHAW" website. Here are the main points:

Prof. Dr. Alice Delorme Benites

Head of the Institute for Multilingual Communication & Professor for Human-Machine Communication