FAQ

Salary payments for pay scale employees at the University of Hamburg are regulated under the collective wage agreement for the public sectors of the German states (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder, TV-L). Positions are allocated to pay scale levels ranging from 1 to 15. The pay scale level is indicated in the job advertisement.

The pay scale level determines the salary to be paid for a particular position. The gross salary payments increase in increments as your experience increases. When you start working at the University of Hamburg your level of experience will be assessed depending on your experience in the same fields of activity. For example:  First-time jobs: Level 1, one year of professional experience: Level 2, more than three years of professional experience: Level 3: The current amounts paid can be found in the pay scale table.

Salaries for civil servants are governed by the Hamburg civil service pay scale act (Hamburgisches Besoldungsgesetz, HmbBesG).

Full-time positions for pay scale employees currently comprise 39 hours per week and 40 hours for civil servants. Vacation leave for a 5-day week amounts to 30 days per year. If you work less than a 5-day week, the number of vacation days will be reduced accordingly.

There are a range of options for pay scale employees and civil servants who wish to change their working hours. Working time can be reduced, particularly for familial reasons (child care, caregiving). You can also reduce your working hours for a set period of time, without providing any justification for so doing.

Yes, the University of Hamburg allows for remote work and in specific cases, telework of up to 60 percent of individual working time. Working remotely or doing telework depends on the suitability of the tasks involved and the area’s conditions, which should allow for work elsewhere. A service agreement is currently being developed that takes pandemic experiences into account and will establish modern forms of cooperation.

In addition, almost all workplaces are equipped with mobile devices that make flexible and mobile working arrangements possible.

The University wants to make the balance between studies and family or work and family a natural part of university life. For this reason, the Family Office was set up in January 2012 to provide family services to all members of the University. The Family Office is the central point of contact and information for University of Hamburg students, academics, and technical and administrative staff.

Its main function is to coordinate the information that will help you balance studies or work and family. The Family Office provides up-to-date information and a broad range of advising services. You can find out more about family-friendly matters in the Family Office flyer (PDF, in german only) or at their information events.

The University of Hamburg is obliged to avoid creating uncertain employment conditions. That means: Permanent positions must be created for long-term or ongoing tasks and duties.

Time limits imposed during periods of qualification in academia are in accordance with the academic fixed-term labor contract act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG). In principle, this provides for a 6-year qualification period until the end of the doctorate and for 6 years after the doctorate has been granted (date on the diploma). These times may be extended, for example, in the case of parental leave. A detailed evaluation will be conducted upon commencing employment or in the case of continued employment to ascertain whether any time remains in these periods pursuant to the WissZeitVG. Positions in externally funded projects are also governed by this law and are subject to individual assessment prior to concluding the contract.

Individual courses are designed to assist our staff with their workplace-related tasks and to provide them with more profound and up-to-date knowledge and skills in their area. The goal is to support University staff by providing effective and long-term professional development options and thus enable them to perform their existing tasks to the best of their ability and to face new challenges. Staff may also undertake continuing education part-time to improve their career opportunities and obtain further qualifications while working.

We provide support in planning their professional development and careers. In addition to an individual consultation to reflect on their professional development and opportunities for change as well as for planning their next steps, our staff also have the opportunity to gain new professional perspectives from other areas of the University through work shadowing and the substitution pool. As a provider of professional development for all City of Hamburg staff, the center for continuing education (Zentrum für Aus- und Fortbildung, ZAF) provides a range of opportunities for professional and personal skills development.

The comprehensive professional development program offered by the ZAF includes courses on budgeting and business administration, organization, human resources, and health. We also offer opportunities to researchers to gain further qualifications in customized programs for transferable skills in academia and for their career development.

You are employed by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (FHH), meaning you have access to both the internal University of Hamburg job portal and the FHH job portal for professional development.

You can become a civil servant in both the administrative and academic areas of the University. This depends on an applicant’s personal qualifications and the conditions of the vacancy to be filled. You can see if a position offers the possibility of becoming a civil servant in the job advertisement.

At the University of Hamburg, there are many employment possibilities for students, for example, as a research or teaching assistant or as a student employee in the technical, library, or administrative areas of the University. Student employment options

Job advertisements for students are published on Stellenwerk Hamburg or directly by the hiring unit, for example, on noticeboards in University of Hamburg buildings.

The University of Hamburg offers vocational training in chemistry; fine mechanics; ornamental plants, perennial nursery, and garden and landscape design; and in the commercial sector. The places are announced during every summer break in the University of Hamburg’s job portal and on Facebook and Instagram. Places that cannot be filled are announced again later in the University of Hamburg’s job portal.

The University of Hamburg publishes job opportunities daily.

Job interviews at the University of Hamburg are conducted by each area individually. These interviews usually last for between 45 and 90 minutes. The questions and tasks for the position are drawn from the tasks and duties described in the job advertisement. Generally, the interview panel will consist of the supervisor of the area looking to employ, Staff Council representatives, equal opportunity representatives, and—where necessary—a representative for severely disabled staff. Should you be applying for a leadership position, you may also be expected to complete preemployment testing (assessment center) tasks.

Yes, on receipt of your application, you will be sent an automated confirmation immediately.

If you do not find an email in your mailbox, check your Spam folder. If you do not find any message there, contact bewerbungen"AT"uni-hamburg.de so that we can review your case.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with a specific time frame, as application processing depends on multiple factors—for example, the number of applications received. However, you will receive a confirmation of receipt from us immediately on receipt of your application.

The current status of ongoing or recently completed academic search procedures at the University of Hamburg can be seen in this overview. All applicants will be personally informed after a procedure has been completed.

The assessment criteria are determined by the position description and used to compile a short list of applicants to be invited to a job interview. This decision making process can take from 4 to 8 weeks. Decisions regarding appointments are usually made from 8 to 10 weeks after the end of the application period. This does not apply for professorial appointments which take longer due to complex academic search procedures.

If you have any questions or problems, contact the person named in the job advertisement.

When you apply for an advertised position, the responsible staff, committees, and the Recruitment Office will see your data.

Everyone who is appropriately qualified should apply. Staff selection is strictly driven by merit. We aim to identify the best-qualified person for the advertised position. As gender-balanced teams is a quality we strive for in our employment strategy, we dedicate particular attention to gender underrepresentation.