Qualification and advanced training for postdocs
During and after your doctoral studies, you can obtain information and advice on career planning from various offices at Heidelberg University. Regardless of whether or not you are planning a career within academia, the services outlined here can help you to identify the ways in which you can continue to develop your career after completing your doctoral studies.
Personnel development for postdocs
Heidelberg University supports postdoctoral researchers (postdocs, junior research group leaders, junior professors) with a variety of services in the following areas:
- personal career planning
- development of relevant academic skills in non-subject-specific fields
- interdisciplinary networking
More information:
► Personnel Development for Postdocs 
Management program "Towards a Professorship"
The management program "Towards a Professorship" prepares young researchers to take on responsibilities in leadership and management; it provides support for their personal career planning and helps them to develop an interdisciplinary network.
More information:
► Management program "Towards a Professorship"
Mentoring Programme
Heidelberg University offers a Mentoring Programme for Post-doctoral Researchers as part of the heiTRACKS promotion of young talent
The aim of the 12-month mentoring programme is to provide early-career researchers at Heidelberg University with the best possible support in reaching their personal career goals.
More information:
► Mentoring Programme for Postdocs
Career coaching for postdocs
The Career Coaching for Post-docs as part of the heiTRACKS promotion of young talent at Heidelberg University is particularly designed for postdocs who graduated at least two years to a maximum of four years ago and who are currently employed at Heidelberg University.
Career coaching for postdocs offers you short-term assistance with Professional orientation, Career planning, and Decision-making.
More information:
► Career Coaching for postdocs
Dual Career Service for Postdocs
The Dual Career Service supports the partners and families of newly-hired professors and postdoctoral researchers at Heidelberg University with pursuing their career in Heidelberg and the region.
The Service offers advice and information about employment opportunities at Heidelberg University and with other employers in the region as well as help and support during the application process. Participants also profit from sustainable networks and cooperations within and beyond the University.
More information:
► Dual Career Service for Postdocs
Equal Opportunities Office
The Equal Opportunities Office develops gender equality measures for the university and its institutions.
Furthermore the Office systematically promotes young female academics and works towards improving the conditions for combining scientific careers with a sustainable family life.
More information:
► Research Funding and Scholarships
► Information of the Equal Opportunities Office for Postdocs (German)
► Equal Opportunities at Heidelberg University
Internal Training Program
The University provides professional development and continuing education courses to its staff free of charge.
More information:
► Internal Training Program (German)
Academic instruction
The department for academic instruction (Hochschuldidaktik) offers a series of courses aimed at helping young researchers to improve their teaching skills.
The program comprises a number of modules, taught in German, which lead to the certificate called "Baden-Württemberg-Zertifikat für Hochschuldidaktik". A fee is charged for the program.
More information:
► Hochschuldidaktikzentrum Baden-Württemberg (HDZ) (German)
► Arbeitsstelle Hochschuldidaktik (German)
Career Service: professional know-how
The Career Service advises students, doctoral candidates and post-docs about career opportunities and helps them to discover their own professional competencies.
More information:
► Career Service (German)
Start-up Management
Start-up Management of Heidelberg University supports students, alumni and employees in establishing new enterprises.
Support during the planning phase is given, in particular, to those start-ups founded in good, solid ideas or the commercialization of research results.
More information:
► Business Start-ups
Jobs and vacancies at Heidelberg University
Heidelberg is an attractive center for higher education and research.
There are also a large variety of employers in private industry as well as in the public sector both in the city and the surrounding area.
More information:
► Jobs and vacancies at Heidelberg University (German)
