Director, Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Czech Academy of Sciences
The Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) was established by Act No. 283/1992 Coll. as the Czech successor of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. It is set up as a complex of 54 public research institutions. The Academy employs over 8,000 employees, more than a half of whom are researchers with university degrees.
The primary mission of the CAS and its institutes is to conduct research in a broad spectrum of the natural, technical and social sciences and the humanities. This research, whether highly specialised or interdisciplinary in nature, aims to advance developments in scientific knowledge at the international level, while also taking into account the specific needs of both the Czech society and the national culture. Researchers of the Academy institutes also participate in education, particularly through doctoral study programmes for young researchers and by teaching at universities as well. The Academy also fosters collaboration with applied research and industry. The integration of the Czech science into the international context is being promoted by means of numerous joint international research projects and through the exchange of scientists with counterpart institutions abroad.
The supreme self-governing body of the CAS is the Academy Assembly, two-thirds of which is composed of representatives of all Academy institutes, the remaining third being representatives of universities, state administration, business circles, and other notable personalities. The executive body of the Academy is the Academy Council headed by the President of the CAS. The Council for Sciences is primarily engaged in setting science policy of the Academy. Members of each of these Academy bodies are elected for a four-year period. The CAS was the first institution in the Czech Republic to establish its own Grant Agency which financially supported research projects selected through a peer-review procedure involving reviewers from abroad.
The CAS is financed primarily from the state budget. The pattern of research funding at the Academy conforms to current international standards. In addition to basic institutional financing of the research objectives of the Academy institutes, target-oriented financing is being more widely practised to carry out research projects and grant projects selected on the basis of public competition. The CAS was the first institution in the Czech Republic to establish its own Grant Agency which financially supported research projects selected through a peer-review procedure involving reviewers from abroad. The individual Academy institutes obtain additional financial resources by participating in national as well as international research programmes.
The CAS has also been assigned financial responsibility for 71 specialised Czech scientific societies associated with the Council of Scientific Societies.
Homepage: https://www.avcr.cz/en/
Seismology (SM)
Tectonics and Structural Geology (TS)
About the institute
The Institute of Geophysics (www.ig.cas.cz/en/) is a public research institute founded in 1920, one of sixty institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and among the leading centres of fundamental and applied research in the Earth sciences in Central Europe.
Our research embraces a wide range of field- and modelling-based studies, including seven research teams, spanning active plate tectonic processes, rock deformation, environmental magnetism, the geomagnetic field, seismic wave and source studies, the structure of continental lithosphere, sedimentary basins, geomorphology, palaeoclimatology, and volcanic and magmatic processes. In addition, the institute maintains several long-term Earth-observation facilities, including the National Geomagnetic Observatory, the Czech regional seismic network, four Earth tides observatories, and a pool of mobile seismic stations deployed temporarily in tectonically active regions.
Our community comprises ~60 PhD-level research scientists including a growing international cohort plus ~40 support staff. Our researchers are involved in teaching and student supervision at universities in the Czech Republic and worldwide.
About the position
Key responsibilities of the Director include setting the Institute's research vision; sustaining and modernising its long-term observational infrastructure; securing competitive national and international funding; ensuring an inclusive and supportive work environment; and fostering the Institute's international standing as a centre of scientific research and active partner in global collaboration and governance. The annual budget of the Institute is around 146 million CZK (6 million €).
The successful candidate is expected to be a scientist of proven international standing with demonstrated leadership and management experience, a commitment to mentoring early-career researchers, and the vision to guide the Institute's continued development as a centre of world-class research. Fluency in English, the working language within the institute, is expected.
The expected term of office is five-years: 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2032, with the possibility of an additional term. The employment package includes a salary of 130 000 CZK (~5300 EUR) per month, plus an annual performance-related bonus.
Application procedure
The appointment of the Director is made by the President of the Czech Academy of Sciences following an open selection procedure. Applications should be submitted in English, and include the following:
- a brief vision statement for the institute’s management and future development;
- CV, including summary of professional experience, scientific output, residential address and contact details;
- documents confirming university education and scientific qualifications;
- a criminal clearance certificate issued within the last 3 months (see link below);
- declaration of integrity pursuant to Section 17(4)(c) of Act No. 341/2005 Coll. and on work in the bodies of legal entities pursuant to Section 17(6) of Act No. 341/2005 Coll. (see link below).
Additional information regarding the position can be found here*, and in the case of queries about the selection process, please contact Ms. Balnerova at balnerova@kav.cas.cz
Please label applications ‘Selection Process (Institute of Geophysics, CAS)’ and ensure delivery of applications by 15:00 on 30 November 2026 in one of the following ways:
- in digital form:
- data box ID: fr6adt5
- e-mail: posta@kav.cas.cz
- in hard-copy: Czech Academy of Sciences - Attention of director of the CAS Head Office, Národní 3, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic.
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