3 Assistant Professor / Tenure Track Positions in the department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Industrial
Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology
The department of Industrial Design offers three tenure track positions for Assistant Professor. We are looking for colleagues who can excel in an interdisciplinary environment, where designers and researchers are expected to work independently across research groups, and contribute to the larger research agenda of the department and the research themes of the Faculty.
The department of Industrial Design (ID) is recognized as an international leader in design research and was ranked excellent by an international review panel in 2015. The department houses the ID-StudioLab, a unique interdisciplinary design research community that includes staff from all research groups and facilitates design-driven research and education, in a close association with the bachelor and master educational programs.
Research and education in ID is clustered in research groups focusing on subjects such as design for happiness, prototyping in design thinking, design aesthetics, future interactions, ergonomics and social design. Our research and education is aimed at developing and improving knowledge and skills that will help designers and researchers to contribute to relevant societal challenges. We seek to design solutions that are viable and therefore have an impact. We believe design work, whether as a product service system, a single product, or a service, requires scientific knowledge, including systematic methods, techniques and tools. We help our designers to master these means and conceptualise products and services that are understandable, that stimulate meaningful experiences, enable healthy social behaviour, and support well-being. This entails socio-cultural, philosophical, and anthropological understandings as well as technological insights.
The major challenges for design research we see for the future are:
1. The shift from the fulfilment of individual needs to quality of life and society. We need to understand how design can aim for long-term personal well-being, and a healthy and sustainable society, by impacting people’s behavior, experience, and standards.
2. The need to understand interaction in context and over time, rather than a focus on immediate usability or user experience. An understanding of how products and services fit into people’s daily routines and social practices is essential.
3. The transition from personal systems to complex socio-technical systems. This entails understanding of the multiple actors (from people to intelligent devices, or ‘things’) and values at play in an increasingly connected world.
Candidates are invited to apply for the open positions by explaining in an original research statement their views on one or a combination of the three above challenges.
We are looking for candidates with a pioneering mentality who are prepared to engage the scientific challenges of doing design research, and can work in close contact with both industrial and academic partners. Through research and teaching candidates should be able to inspire colleagues and students. Candidates play a prominent role in the bachelor education in the areas relevant to the department. Candidates should have a PhD-degree in design, human-computer interaction, the social sciences or other related fields. Candidates should preferably also have a Post Doc or the equivalent of at least two years of post-PhD experience.
TU Delft offers a full-time employment contract for 6 years, with the possibility of obtaining tenure after 5 years on the basis of a go/no-go evaluation. The gross monthly salary is min. € 3324,- and max. € 4551,- based on a full-time appointment and depending on experience. For more information about the TU Delft Tenure Track programme, please visit www.tudelft.nl/tenuretrack.
Candidates are expected to submit a motivational letter, an original research statement (max. 5 A4) and a detailed CV including 3 reference letters, by December 18th 2015, 12:00h (GMT+1), to Joost Niermeijer, Deputy Head of Department ID.
When applying for this position, please refer to vacancy number ATIO 0713.
For more information about the department and these positions, please contact Joost Niermeijer