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We are looking for an excellent and research driven candidate who is positioned to propose a research project that corresponds thematically and methodologically to the research theme of the department Borders.

Borders are a fundamental problem of contemporary life: there is a veritable boom in the building of walls and the fortification of borders around the world. Borders have never been static lines, but are mobile, disputed and invisible; they encompass the physical to the intellectual and cultural but mark the differences between our humanity and all that would seem to deny it or contradict it or aim to replace it. The project considers on the one hand the materiality of marking margins and borders with objects, sculptures, or by carving nature, and on the other hand the political and cognitive implications of the representation of borders on maps and paper, as well as recent bordering techniques which have broken away from the map. It also considers the historical and contemporary presence of visible and invisible borders within the context of cities, with areas or buildings inhabited by minorities or merchant nations, such as today's quarters inhabited by foreign-born communities.

The Academic Assistant will conduct his/her/their own research within the framework of the new department and of the project Borders.
We expect the candidate to be open and capable of moving across disciplinary boundaries and to dialogue with experts in other fields, as well as with contemporary art historians and artists.
Alongside excellence in research, the candidate should demonstrate flexibility and readiness to take on responsibilities, commitment to pursuing new insights through original scholarship, international experiences, and capability of working in group.
Candidates must be fluent in English. Additional language skills (preferably active) may include knowledge of one or more of the following languages: Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese.

Application Deadline
The deadline for application is September 30, 2026, 12 pm CET.

Position Starting Date
December 1, 2026. In justified cases, we may also consider later starting dates.
The position is offered for one year, extendable up to three years.

Responsibilities:
In addition to working on an independent research project, the selected candidate will contribute to the scientific activities and help with organizational tasks of the department of Professor de Divitiis.

The Academic Assistant will:
- collaborate in the coordination of the works of docs and postdocs working on the project;
- collaborate with guest scholars, also from other disciplines;
- contribute to the project’s output (publications, databases, digital and other media);
- plan and organize internal and external meetings, seminars, workshops, visits, trips, annual summer courses, exhibitions or other activities in collaboration with the Director.

This position is Florence-based. By the start of the appointment, candidates are expected to have taken up residence in Florence. The position may not be held concurrently with another employment or major fellowship award; applicants should not take on other obligations during their employment period. Candidates are expected to contribute actively to the intellectual life of the department and of the institute.

Salary
If the requirements are met, we offer remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the public service (TVöD Bund) with corresponding social benefits. If the TVöD is not applicable, adequate remuneration will be paid in accordance with Italian law.

Application
Applications are welcome in German, English, or Italian. To apply the candidate must upload the following documents:

• Cover letter that clearly states the candidate’s interest and potential contribution to the project,
• and describes his/her/their scientific and organizational skills.
• Description of PhD thesis, including contents (max. 1000 words; max. 4-5 pages).
• Description of proposed research project (max. 1000 words; max. 4-5 pages) with selected
• Curriculum vitae and list of publications.
• Name and contact information of at least two academic referees.
• One writing sample, e.g. draft of an article, publication, PhD thesis chapter.

Please find here the application portal: https://apply.khi.fi.it/

The Max Planck Society is committed to fostering equal opportunities and diversity and welcomes applicants from all parts of society, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disabilities, or sexual orientation.

We are looking for a committed, forward-thinking person with a PhD in art history or a neighboring discipline, with strong management and communication skills, a collaborative working style and substantial leadership experience, for a position requiring high levels of responsibility and creativity in an internationally outstanding research institute for art history.

As a member of the Institute’s leadership team, the Head of the Library contributes to the strategic development of the Institute and its research infrastructure, playing a fundamental role in further strengthening and shaping the KHI Library as a place where research and service for outstanding scholarship interact. The position comprises the management of an open-shelf library (of approximately 350,000 volumes), collection development, acquisitions, cataloging, conservation, and scholarly inquiry; it combines the strategic directing of the KHI Library and data services with day-to-day operational responsibility. The Head of the Library works closely with the Institute's researchers, with its departments and research groups, as well as the Photothek and Digital Humanities Lab, serving as a key point of connection between scholars, guest researchers, the Institute’s various units, and long-term research projects.

Founded in 1897 and part of the Max Planck Society since 2002, the KHI understands itself as a laboratory of fundamental research in the histories of art, architecture and photography. Its scholarship is shaped by a transcultural perspective and encompasses a wide historical, methodological, and geographical range, in dialogue with other disciplines. At the KHI historical research is intertwined with a critical engagement in contemporary debates and challenges, including ecology, aesthetics, ethics, urbanization, heritage, geopolitics, migration, practices of care, visual and material culture, global art worlds, the future of museums and archives, as well as codifications, languages and narratives, artificial intelligence and digital transformations.  

The KHI Library acts as a hub for the international community of scholars and a place of research, encounters, exchange, and intellectual engagement across generations of scholars. By integrating physical and digital resources, the library promotes awareness of the historical significance of books as instruments of research and knowledge production, while advancing sustainable approaches to digital technologies and artificial intelligence. In addition to its service functions the Library has elaborated a distinctive research profile, addressing both emerging questions in the field of library and information science more broadly as well as regarding its own collections, particularly its rare book holdings, which have been significantly enriched by the unique donation of the Biblioteca Serlupiana. While based in Florence, the KHI Library is closely related to German library and data infrastructures, among them the kubikat consortium, and takes part in the Max Planck Society’s network of libraries as well as in international committees and networks.

The Head of the Library’s specific tasks are:

• developing and strengthening the collections – including books, e-books, periodicals, databases, electronic and digital resources – through a research-driven acquisition strategy aligned with the Institute’s scholarly agenda;
• overseeing all aspects of the material care and conservation of the collections, with particular attention to rare books and special collections;
• pursuing digitization initiatives and advancing the library’s engagement with digital humanities, computational methods, open access, research data management, and artificial intelligence in library infrastructures and research services;
• taking responsibility for data and information security strategies;
• managing and coordinating library staff while fostering a collaborative and efficient working environment;
• developing innovative space-planning strategies that anticipate evolving research practices, new publication formats, and modes of knowledge production, and ensure accessibility, coherence, and suitability for current and future research needs;
• overseeing the further development of the cataloging system in collaboration with the kubikat consortium (Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max-Planck-Institut für Kunstgeschichte, Rome; Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte, Munich; Deutsches Forum für Kunstgeschichte, Paris), as well as maintaining and enhancing the shelf classification system;
• participating actively in the intellectual life and organizational concerns of the KHI, as well as taking initiative in research projects;
• securing additional resources through the preparation of grant applications and fundraising initiatives aimed at enhancing collections, staffing, and strategic projects;
• engaging in public-facing initiatives, including on-site and online exhibitions, to enhance the visibility and accessibility of the Library's collections and activities
• organizing and contributing to international conferences, workshops, and scholarly initiatives;
• strengthening the collaboration and role of the KHI Library within German and international library networks and consortia, such as AKMB, DBV, BVB, IFLA;
• fostering collaboration with the network of MPG libraries, and the Max Planck Digital Library in support of shared initiatives and strategic objectives.

Requirements:

• PhD in art history or a neighboring discipline;
• eligibility for academic librarianship in Germany, or willingness to acquire the necessary qualification through a fully funded two-year Master's program;
• leadership experience in a research library, academic institution, or comparable research infrastructure, including responsibility for personnel, budgets, strategic planning, and organizational development;
• native or near-native proficiency in German, and excellent command of English and Italian.

The full-time position is Florence-based and requires full-time commitment; it may not be held concurrently with other professional appointments.

Subject to personal qualifications, appropriate remuneration is based on the TVöD (Bund), with social benefits in line with German federal public service regulations. Alternatively, a contract according to Italian law with an equivalent remuneration will be offered.

The Max Planck Society is committed to equal opportunities and diversity and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, regardless of gender, ethnic origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

Please submit the application, including a cover letter, CV, and a statement describing your vision for the Library (up to 3 pages). The complete application should be uploaded as a single PDF file (max. 5 MB) to the application portal https://apply.khi.fi.it/ by 30 September 2026, 23:59 (CEST).

 For further information, please contact Eva Mußotter and Mandy Richter (mussotter@khi.fi.it; richter@khi.fi.it)

Förderungsfähig sind Promotionsvorhaben mit Forschungsschwerpunkten zur Kunstgeschichte Italiens und des Mittelmeerraums von der Spätantike bis zur Moderne.

Antragsberechtigt sind ausschließlich Kandidat:innen, die an einer baden-württembergischen Universität als Doktorand:in angenommen sind.

Anträge auf ein KHI-Individualstipendium können ab sofort und bis zum 30.09.2026 eingereicht werden. Bitte beachten Sie die Informationen und Hinweise zur Antragstellung auf dieser Seite: Individualstipendien am Kunsthistorischen Institut in Florenz - Graduiertenakademie