Research Associate for the Project “OmenXR — On-the-fly MultisEnsory collaboratioN in eXtended Reality” § 28 Subsection 3 HmbHG

Institution: Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Department of Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction

Salary level: EGR. 13 TV-L

Start date: 01.01.2027 pending approval of external funding, fixed until 31.12.2029 (This is a fixed-term contract in accordance with Section 2 of the academic fixed-term labor contract act [Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG]).

Application deadline: 2026-10-15

Scope of work: full-time position suitable for part-time

Your responsibilities

Duties include academic services in the project named above. Research associates may also pursue further academic qualifications outside of their work responsibilities. They may also pursue doctoral studies outside of working duties.

As a PhD researcher on the OmenXR project, you will work on the following topics:

• Advance Multisensory Environments: Research how real-time, 3D multisensory reconstructions support collaboration between humans, virtual AI agents, and teleoperated robots
• Grounding & Representation: Develop shared digital representations combining photorealistic geometry, material properties, and invisible data fields (e.g., thermal, radiation)
• Sensory Translation: Design mappings that translate imperceptible data into alternate sensory channels (e.g., spatial audio, haptics, olfactory cues)
• Interaction & Evaluation: Design and user-test interaction paradigms with expert operators for robot teleoperation (at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) and human-AI collaboration
• Consortium Leadership: Actively contribute to OmenXR consortium activities, technical meetings, cross-partner collaborations, and high-impact publications (e.g., IEEE VR, ISMAR, SIGGRAPH, UIST, IROS, TVCG etc)

Your profile

A university degree in a relevant field.

An excellent university degree (Master's or equivalent) in computer science, robotics, human-computer interaction, media informatics, electrical engineering or a closely related discipline is required.

Robotics, teleoperation, and haptics (preferred)

• ROS/ROS 2, C#, and Python
• hands-on experience with robotic platforms, teleoperation, or sensor integration
• experience with haptic or force-feedback devices and wearable actuators

Agentic AI and intelligent virtual agents

• practical experience with large language models and vision-language models
• experience with intelligent virtual agents and embodied conversational agents

Further preferred qualifications and experience:

• Unity or Unreal Engine
• knowledge of Gaussian splatting and neural rendering methods
• experience with VR/AR
• knowledge of human-centred development and evaluation approaches is a plus
• excellent command of written and spoken English
• proficiency in relevant research methods and techniques

We offer

Reliable remuneration based on wage agreements

Continuing education opportunities

University pensions

Attractive location

Flexible working hours

Work-life balance opportunities

Health management, EGYM Wellpass

Educational leave

30 days of vacation per annum

Universität Hamburg—University of Excellence is one of the strongest research educational institutions in Germany. Our work in research, teaching, educational and knowledge exchange activities is fostering the next generation of responsible global citizens ready to tackle the global challenges facing us. Our guiding principle “Innovating and Cooperating for a Sustainable Future in a digital age” drives collaboration with academic and nonacademic partner institutions in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and around the world. We would like to invite you to be part of our community to work with us in creating sustainable and digital change for a dynamic and pluralist society.

The University of Hamburg is committed to equity. Diversity enriches our university life, whether in our studies, research, teaching, education, or workplace. We therefore welcome all applications, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic or social background, age, religion or belief, disability, or chronic illness.

The University of Hamburg strives to increase the number of women in academia, and encourages qualified female academics to apply. Severely disabled and disabled applicants with the same status will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants.

Notice regarding the background check under Section 34a of the Hamburg security clearance act (Gesetz zur Regelung der Sicherheitsüberprüfungen, HmbSÜG): On behalf of the person chosen in the selection procedure, this office submits an inquiry to the state office for the protection of the constitution (Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz) regarding any available findings/information which meet the statutory requirements ( and ).

Instructions for applying

Contact

Prof. Dr. Frank Steinicke

Dr. Ke Li

Location

Bundesstraße 56b
20146 Hamburg

Reference number

257

Application deadline

2026-10-15

Use only the online application form to submit your application with the following documents:

• cover letter
• CV
• copies of degree certificate(s)

If you experience technical problems, send an email to .

More information on in selection procedures.