Are you an experienced Interaction Designer? Do you have a PhD? Would you like to train an new generation of creative professionals?

What you would be doing 
As a lecturer and researcher in the field of Interaction Design you are capable of translating relevant developments in the domain of the Creative Industries to inspiring classes and educational tracks, both at bachelor and master level. You will be constantly looking for ways to involve the professional field with our educational programs, to innovate our programs based on your research, and to bring our research results back to the professional field. In that sense you are truly a connector. You will be teaching in the domain of Data-driven design, and you will supervise student projects and graduation projects within the bachelor program of CMD and the master program of DDD

Furthermore you will be working as a researcher in the research group Human Experience and Media Design (HEMD). You will initiate new projects in the field of user experience and interaction qualities of intelligent systems and services (such as recommender systems, conversational AI and personalized services). With this work, too, you connect educational programs, the professional field and the world of research.

What you bring

• You hold a PhD in Human Computer Interaction or related domains (such as Industrial Design, or Cognitive Sciences). You have knowledge of the state of the art in the design of intelligent and adaptive systems and in the field of human/AI interaction. This is clear from recent research projects and your list of publications. You have a wide range of  interests and you have experience with a ‘research through design’-approach.
• You have a clear vision on the phenomena of digital transformation and the datafication of society. Your research projects at HEMD will help substantiate both the advantages of these developments and their potential disadvantages, thus contributing to a kind and inclusive digital society.
• As a specialist, you know how to translate expert knowledge to effective classes, and you can find ways to bring the professional field in your class room: you spot examples that will work great in a didactic context, you will have students join in professional projects, you will find inspiring guest speakers, you will identify projects that can be carried out in school, by our students, and that can serve as great experiences for our students. In order to be able to do that, you are acutely aware of all new developments in your domain
• You are fluent in English
• You hold a Basic Qualification for Didactic Competence or are willing to obtain that certificate.
• You have experience in or affinity with Higher Education
• If you are well-versed in machine learning concepts, data science, and if you can code in Python, that is a definitive plus, as is recent experience in the professional field, successful experience with research grant applications and an extended professional network.

Who are you are

• You are passionate about what you do
• You are always willing to learn new things, develop your knowledge further and broaden your horizon
• You are result-oriented and a great team player. You can inspire other people and you are a self-starter.

Where you would work 
The master program Data-driven Design trains a new generation of digital creatives. The program bridges the domains of data science and design with a focus on the development of attractive concepts, products and services that are all data-based and that all find ways of interacting with data in smart and innovative ways. Organizations (commercial or not) have access to enormous amounts of data but no direct ways of putting all that data to good use, in interactive adaptive systems. Our master graduates will have learned to work on those questions.

The research group Human Experience & Media Design conducts research into the user experience of digital media, and into data-driven user research. The researchers develop inspiring examples, models and approaches, firmly rooted in academic research, to help professionals build innovative concepts, products and services.

The bachelor program Communication and Multimedia Design trains creative designers. Based on user research, the context in which a tool is used and the affordances of the selected medium, our students learn how to develop creative solutions for communicative contexts. They are taught to approach their assignments from the perspective of human-centered design. CMD-graduates will work in the field of the Creative Industries.

Your workplace would be Heidelberglaan 15 in Utrecht. However, as long as we are still dealing with a pandemic, you will be mainly working remotely.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year, in principle, this contract can be extended.

What we offer 
You will be initially offered an annual contract (D4) minimally consisting of 0.6 Fte. In principle, this contract can be extended. The gross monthly salary for full-time employment for this function ranges from 4.445,52 to 5.717,25 Euro (applied university salary, scale 12). Additionally, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and a guaranteed end-of-year bonus amounting to 8.45% (all according to the guidelines of the collective labor agreements for  higher education). Apart from that, the HU offers excellent opportunities for further development in the form of schooling and education. For lecturers and researchers we allocate 10% of each contract to that purpose. It is also possible to opt into our collective health care insurance, and we offer discounts for other types of insurances, software and sports facilities.  

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

The HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht is an ambitious university in dynamic surroundings. As a university of applied sciences, we provide education and conduct research. We train – future – professionals who are highly in demand in the labour market and are inextricably tied to the Utrecht region. The link between education, research, and the professional world enhances our regional impact.

The Institute for Media

The Utrecht University for Applied Sciences (or Hogeschool Utrecht; HU) consists of 22 separate departments (institutes). One of them is the Institute for Media that includes three different programs: the bachelor Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD, 1030 students), the bachelor Journalism (SvJ, 1260 students) and the master Data-driven Design (DDD, 60 students). Apart from these programs the Institute also offers a wide range of courses and workshops for professionals in the field.