Assistant/Associate Professor of Industrial Design (Tenure-Track)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 78,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Tuition waivers for employees and depe

Paid time off

Job summary

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications for tenure-track positions in Industrial Design at Assistant or Associate Professor ranks. The role emphasizes human-centered design, design research, teaching, and service within a nationally renowned program.

Successful candidates will build sustained program of research and contribute to undergraduate and graduate education while advancing responsible innovation across physical, digital, social, and environmental contexts.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in Industrial Design (MFA/PhD) or closely related field.
• Evidence of an emerging research, scholarly, and/or creative agenda.
• Demonstrated potential for teaching and student mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Industrial Design.
• Mentor and advise students across programs.
• Contribute to curriculum development and program advancement.
• Participate in service at program, school, and university levels.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations across campus.

Skills

Human-centered design

Design research

Curriculum development

Teaching and mentorship

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Student supervision

Curriculum planning

External funding pursuit

Education

Terminal degree in Industrial Design or related field

Evidence of emerging research/creative agenda

Ability to contribute undergraduate and graduate education

PhD in related design discipline (preferred for Associate)

Job description

• Contributetocurriculumdevelopmentandprogram advancement
• Curriculum vitae

School of Art & Design

College of Fine and Applied Arts

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

TheSchoolof School of Art & Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications for Assistant Professor or Associate Professor in Industrial Design faculty ranks, depending on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and record of achievement.

Thesepositionsofferexcitingopportunitiestocontributetoandexpandoneofthenation's leading Industrial Design programs through design research, creative practice, teaching, and professional engagement. We seek accomplished designer-educators whose work advances industrial design as a discipline that integrates human-centered inquiry, creativity, technology, making, and innovation to address contemporary human, social, environmental, and technological challenges.

For tenure-track appointments, we seek candidates who possess ID core skills with a demonstrated design research agenda that contributes new knowledge, methods, and perspectives to the discipline of industrial design. Successful candidates will be expected to build a sustained program of research, scholarship, and/or creative activity while contributing to undergraduate and graduate education.

Industrial Design at Illinois is grounded in the core competencies of industrial design, including human-centered design, design visualization, prototyping, materials and manufacturing, systems thinking, critical inquiry, and innovation. We are particularly interestedincandidateswhounderstandindustrialdesignnotonlyasthedevelopmentof products and experiences, but also as a means of generating new knowledge, advancing responsible innovation, and creating meaningful impact across physical, digital, social,and environmental contexts.

As part of a world-class research university, faculty in Industrial Design benefit from extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues across engineering, computer science, business, healthcare, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and emerging technology initiatives. The successful candidate will join a collaborative community committed to advancing the future of industrial design through research, creative practice, education, and public engagement.

Aboutthe College of Fine and Applied Arts

The College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) is singular in the nation for its diversity, innovation and breadth. Its mission is dedicated to the advancement, practice, and understanding of the arts, and its central focus is the synergy between research and the preparation of students for professional careers in the creation and interpretation of the environmental,visual,andperformingarts.Deeplyrelatedtothatfocusisthecommitment to elevate and sustain the study of the arts as both a necessary mode of understandingand a vibrant expression of human experience within the local, national, and international communities.

The college comprises the Schools of Music , Architecture , and Art and Design ; Departments of Dance , Landscape Architecture , Theatre , and Urban and Regional Planning ; the Sustainable Design program; Krannert Center for the Performing Arts ; Krannert Art Museum ; and Japan House . This unique constellation of academic, research, and cultural institutions creates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across the arts, design, technology, culture, and the built environment.

FAA employs more than 660 faculty and staff members, including more than 150 tenure- system faculty, and serves more than 1,850 undergraduate students and 635 graduate students enrolled across more than 30 majors and 10 minors. The College provides a vibrantenvironmentforinnovativeteaching,scholarlyinquiry,creativepractice,andpublic engagement, making it an ideal setting for advancing the future of industrial design education, research, and professional practice.

Aboutthe School of Art & Design

TheSchoolofArt & Design,withintheCollegeofFineandAppliedArts,ishometoadiverse community of artists, designers, educators, historians, and researchers. The School supports creative practice, scholarly inquiry, and interdisciplinary collaboration across a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Industrial Design Program has a long-standing reputation for excellence in design education and is recognized for preparing students to address human, technological, environmental, and societal challenges through design. The program emphasizes human- centereddesign,criticalinquiry,designresearch,systemsthinking,visualization, making, prototyping, sustainability, emerging technologies, and responsible innovation. Faculty and students explore how industrial design can generate new knowledge, create meaningful experiences, and contribute to positive social and economic impact.

Aboutthe Position

TheSchool of Art & Designinvitesapplicationsforfull-timetenure-trackfacultypositions in Industrial Design at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Industrial Design at Illinois embraces a broad understanding of design as a human- centered, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented discipline. Faculty on the tenure track contribute to undergraduate and graduate education, student mentorship, curriculum development, and service, while emphasizing design research, scholarship, and creative activity.

AreasofResearchandCreative Practice

We seek candidates whose research and creative practice are grounded in the core competencies of industrial design and who demonstrate the potential to advance knowledge, methods, and innovation in the discipline. Candidates should combine excellence in industrial design core skills with a clear design research agenda that addresses contemporary human, technological, environmental, and societal challenges. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Industrialandproduct design
• ProductdevelopmentandStrategic foresight
• Color,Material,Finishing(CMF) Research
• Human-centereddesignandexperience design
• Designmethodsandinnovation processes
• Emergingtechnologies/artificial intelligence
• Physical-digitalproductsandinteractive experiences
• Manufacturing,andadvancedproduction systems

Candidates should demonstrate the ability to develop a sustained program of research and/or creative scholarship, contribute to graduate education, and engage in interdisciplinarycollaboration.

Responsibilities

Facultymembers will:

• TeachundergraduateandgraduatecoursesinIndustrial Design
• Mentorandadvise students
• Contributetocurriculumdevelopmentandprogram advancement
• Participate in service activities within the program, School, College, University, and profession
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations across campus and beyond
• Maintainactiveresearch,scholarly, and/or creativepractice agenda
• Developexternallyrecognizedcontributionstothe discipline
• Pursueexternallyfundedresearchopportunitieswhere appropriate
• Supervise graduatestudentresearchandcreative activity

Qualifications

RequiredQualifications

• Terminal degree in Industrial Design (MFA in Industrial Design, Doctor of Design in industrialdesign,PhDinDesign/industrialdesignorproductdesignfocused)ora closely related field
• Evidenceofemergingresearch,scholarly,and/orcreative agenda
• Demonstratedpotentialforexcellenceinteachingandstudent mentorship
• Abilitytocontributetoundergraduateandgraduate education
• Evidence of research, creative practice, or professional achievement relevant to industrialdesign
• To be considered Associate Professor, established record of research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement
• TobeconsideredAssociateProfessor, recognitionappropriatetorankatthe national or international level
• To be considered Associate Professor, evidence of leadership in research, creative practice, or academic initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• PhDinadisciplinerelatedto design
• Evidenceofinterdisciplinaryresearchorcreative collaboration
• Record of publications, exhibitions, patents, funded projects, or related accomplishments
• Experienceteachingdesignstudiosandrelated coursework
• Expertiseinemergingareasofindustrialdesignresearchand practice
• Potentialtosecureexternalfundinganddevelopcollaborative initiatives
• TobeconsideredforAssociateProfessor,significantinterdisciplinary engagement
• To be considered for Associate Professor, leadership in curriculum development and program advancement
• To be considered for Associate Professor, demonstrated scholarly, creative, or professional impact at national or international levels

DesiredCandidate Profile

The strongest candidates will demonstrate excellence in industrial design fundamentals, including human-centered design, design process, visualization, prototyping, communication, critical thinking, and innovation. They will contribute to a collaborative academic culture while advancing a significant design research agenda and will help prepare students to become leaders in the evolving field of industrial design.

Application Materials

• Cover letter
• Please describe the strategies you would develop collaborative research opportunities, andstrengthenyourresearchprofilewithintheuniversityandthe broader academic community.
• Please describe your creative and teaching practices and how they could contribute to industrial design teaching and creative practice within the Industrial Design program.
• Please discuss potential connections between your practice and research areas
• Candidates mayalso usethecoverlettertodescribehow theirprofessionalor educational background prepares them for either the Assistant or Associate Professorrank.
• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching statement
• Research Statement
• Portfolioofcreative work
• PDForlinktoanonline portfolio
• Pleaseidentifyyourroleincollaborativeorprofessionallyproducedworkwhen appropriate.
• Samplesof syllabus, if available
• Samplesofstudentwork ,if available
• Names and contact information for three references
• Name, Title, Email, and Phone Numbers

Appointment Information

Thisisa100%full-time,nine-monthTenure-TrackAssistant/AssociateProfessorappointment (paid over 12 months). The expected start date is August 16, 2027.

The salary range for the position is $78K-$96K (Asst $78K-$84K, Assoc $91- $96K). We strive to provide a competitive salary, considering factors such as available market data, internal equity, candidate’sexperienceandqualifications,andbudgetconstraints.

This position is eligible for sponsorship for work authorization, except for sponsorship of a new H1B petition that would incur the $100,000 fee.

Faculty Recruitment

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits . This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal , or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or [e-mail].