The Physics Department Leadership comprises the Department Head and their deputy, as well as a Studies and Teaching Officer and their deputy—all drawn from the ranks of professors.

The Department Leadership is supported by the Department Management and by the Managing Directors of the six physics institutes. Together, the Department Leadership and the Managing Directors form the Physics Directorate (Vorstand PHYSIK), which convenes once per month.

The department council for physics, an elected body for self-governance formed made up of members from the various status groups was reinstated in Winter Semester 2018/2019. As a rule, it meets 4 times per semester and ensures a transparent flow of information within the department, taking all current locations and institutes into consideration.

The department council elects a department head from all voting members and also selects a deputy. Both terms of office are 2 years, ensuring continuity by the selected head acting as deputy for their predecessor for one year, then acting as deputy for one year for the next head before leaving office.

In the wake of reforms to the Hamburg higher education act (Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG), the following responsibilities were assigned to the departments (University of Hamburg Statues Section 4 subsection 4):

1. organization of teaching and subject advising
2. proposals for academic and examination regulations
3. proposals for obligatory teaching load
4. proposals for the composition of the Academic Search Committee