Assistant Professor / Lecturer in Engineering Design (Circular Engineering)

Welcome to Maastricht University!
The Faculty of Science and Engineering at Maastricht University is growing rapidly. We have two new engineering programmes, and we are constantly developing facilities and resources to support our small-scale, active, student-centred education in engineering. We want you to join a collaborative central faculty team focused on student success and engineering knowledge and skills. You will help us strengthen and maintain our strong gender-balance on the engineering programmes and our focus on educating engineers through the lens of sustainability.

Assistant Professor / Lecturer in Engineering Design (Circular Engineering)

• Our goal: To educate the next generation of engineers through design, making, and sustainability-driven innovation.
• Your colleagues: A close-knit, interdisciplinary team of engineering educators and technical specialists working within the rapidly growing Faculty of Science and Engineering.

We are seeking a collegial, enthusiastic and hands-on academic to join our growing engineering education team as Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Engineering Design. Collaborating with the wider educational teams, as an education focussed academic you will play a central role in shaping and delivering education that integrates engineering design, prototyping, and fabrication skills within our skills and project-based curriculum areas. The position focuses on helping students translate ideas into functional prototypes — combining design, fabrication, electronics, programming, and embedded systems in creative and sustainable ways.

You will help design and deliver courses and learning experiences that strengthen students’ ability to design, build, test, and iterate across a range of tools and technologies. This includes leading and coordinating teaching in our design and fabrication spaces, supervising student design projects, and contributing to the continued development of our interdisciplinary “Design and Make” strand. You will collaborate closely with colleagues across engineering disciplines to strengthen the integration of design and making in the engineering programmes.

Depending on your profile, you will also have opportunities to contribute to applied research or educational innovation related to engineering design, prototyping, or fabrication-based learning.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, coordinate, and deliver education in engineering design, fabrication, and prototyping.
• Lead education with workshop tools and machines.
• Lead the academic aspects of operation and management of the engineering technical learning spaces in collaboration with the laboratory and workshops coordinator team to assure and enhance education quality.
• Supervise and coach students working on design and build projects in multidisciplinary teams.
• Develop and improve facilities and workflows in the engineering education spaces.
• Contribute to curriculum development and innovation within the “Design and Make” educational strand and associate courses within the BSc Circular Engineering and BSc Business Engineering programmes.
• Collaborate with colleagues and external partners to develop authentic, industry-linked design challenges.
• Engage in educational research and scholarship to further enhance student outcomes on the engineering programmes and more widely.

What you bring
It’s not about ticking boxes – it’s about who you are and what you bring. Do you recognise yourself in this?

• Educationally driven designer – You connect engineering design, prototyping and sustainability into powerful learning experiences.
• Hands-on educator – You enjoy teaching in workshops, labs and project spaces and guiding students through making and building.
• Collaborative team player – You thrive in interdisciplinary teams and actively seek connection with colleagues and partners.
• Coach and project supervisor – You support students working in multidisciplinary design teams and help them grow as engineers.
• Innovator in education – You contribute to curriculum development and continuously improve how we teach design and fabrication.
• Academic professional – You hold a PhD in Engineering, Industrial Design or a closely related field and have a strong affinity with engineering education.
• International communicator – You are comfortable working in an international environment and communicate fluently in English. For non-Dutch speakers: willingness to learn Dutch to at least B1 in a reasonable period (English is the working language).

What we offer
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A 12 month contract with the prospect of a permanent contract based on mutual satisfaction.
• A gross monthly salary between € 4.728,00 and € 6.433,00 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE)
FSE is a young, rapidly growing faculty where science, technology, and society converge. We combine STEM and social sciences in innovative programmes such as Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics. Our research and education are interdisciplinary, practice-oriented, and socially relevant. We take pride in our open culture and strong team spirit.

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen and Venlo, the homes of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening on each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.

Department
The Central Engineering Programme group is the hub of the engineering education in the faculty of science and engineering. Here we develop new education programme, manage the education quality and coordinate funding bids to support those develops. We collaborate with all departments within the faculty to develop new courses, programmes and education facilities and work to build a learning community.

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

Curious?
If you have questions about this position, you can refer to: Dr. Gavin Phillips, Programme Director BSc Circular Engineering at g.phillips@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new Assistant Professor / Lecturer in Circular Product Development/Engineering? Apply now, no later than 11 January 2026, for this position.

Please upload your education focused CV, motivation letter and contact information of 2 referees.

The first interviews preferably take place in February 2026 with exact date to be confirmed.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.