Associate Lecturer - Mdes Design Futures (Fixed Term, 0.2-1.0fte)

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A prestigious design institution in London is seeking an Associate Lecturer for its MDes Design Futures Programme for the academic year 2025-26. The role involves teaching, supporting diverse students, and influencing future design practices. Candidates should have experience in teaching design ethics, sustainability, and innovation. This position offers an opportunity to engage in a dynamic educational environment and contribute to innovative design education.

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to delivering excellent teaching
• Dedication to ongoing professional development
• Experience delivering teaching in blended formats

Responsibilities

• Deliver stimulating and relevant teaching content
• Provide academic and technical support through tutorials
• Participate in curriculum design and program improvement

Skills

Teaching experience in design futures

Experience in design ethics

Knowledge of sustainability

Industry experience in design contexts

Ability to deliver blended learning

Job description

Associate Lecturer (0.2 - 1.0 FTE)

MDes Design Futures Programme

Royal College of Art

Academic Year 2025-26

The MDes Design Futures programme at the Royal College of Art invites applications for Associate Lecturer positions ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 FTE across the 2025-26 academic year. These roles offer an exciting opportunity to teach postgraduate students and contribute to the delivery of electives and core units within a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary design programme.

We are seeking candidates who bring both theoretical and practical expertise in design futures and have experience teaching postgraduate students in one or more of the following areas:

• Design ethics: exploring ethical considerations in design practice, behaviour change, and the social and environmental impacts of design decisions
• Design for resilience: addressing sustainability, future forecasting, systems thinking, leverage points, and emerging technologies
• Design innovation: focusing on models and strategies for change, entrepreneurship, and business model innovation across private, public, and third-sector contexts

This is an opportunity to influence the next generation of designers, researchers, and innovators within a prestigious institution renowned for its creative excellence.

Application deadline: Monday 25 August 2025

For more information on the Design Futures programme, please visit:

https://www.rca.ac.uk/study/programme-finder/design-futures/

Role Overview

Associate Lecturers at the RCA play a vital role in delivering high-quality postgraduate teaching that enriches the core curriculum. ALs bring specialist industry knowledge and academic expertise from a variety of disciplines, ensuring students receive a rich and diverse learning experience that reflects contemporary design practice and thinking.

Reporting to the Senior Tutor, Head of Programme, or Dean, Associate Lecturers will undertake duties such as:

Learning & Teaching Responsibilities

• Deliver stimulating and relevant teaching content tailored to the needs of individual students and the programme
• Contribute to cross-disciplinary and cross-school teaching activities that enhance the student experience
• Provide academic, pastoral, and technical support through regular one-to-one tutorials and group sessions
• Offer constructive, timely feedback to help students refine their skills and progress their work
• Keep subject knowledge and professional practice up to date, ensuring teaching reflects current developments
• Participate in the assessment and moderation of student work
• Engage with innovation and best practice in pedagogy and curriculum delivery

Academic Delivery, Administration & Citizenship

• Attend programme and school-wide planning meetings as appropriate to your role
• Support student learning on field trips and other off-site activities, ensuring health and safety requirements are met
• Conduct risk assessments as necessary and adhere to RCA policies and procedures
• Assist with curriculum design and development of teaching materials to maintain academic rigor and innovation
• Participate in Staff Student Consultative Committees, contributing to continuous programme improvement
• Demonstrate commitment to RCA's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion objectives and participate in mandatory training

Person Specification

We are looking for candidates who demonstrate:

• A strong commitment to delivering excellent teaching and fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment
• Dedication to ongoing professional development and scholarly practice
• Ability to engage and work harmoniously with students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds
• Experience delivering teaching and tutoring both in-person and online, including blended learning formats
• Industry experience relevant to design futures and the themes of the programme
• Expertise in teaching entrepreneurship, innovation, and business model development within design contexts

If you are passionate about shaping future-focused design education and enjoy working within an intellectually stimulating, collaborative environment, we encourage you to apply.

Please see the information pack for more details.