At TU Delft, the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, we wish to strengthen our leadership in the research area of Design for Sustainability and a Circular Economy. We are looking for a talented PhD graduate to explore, both in theory and practice, how the design of smart products and services can support and enable a circular and sustainable economy.

Smart products and services are technology-enabled innovations, characterized by intensive use of information technology, and the ability to collect, process, produce and analyze information, resulting in specific actions. Smart products and services allow for a dynamic development of the relationship between the service provider, the (reverse) supply chain, and the user. Examples of the application of smart products & services in a circular economy are for instance the creation of systems to improve the user’s and/or supplier’s ability to repair products through smart predictive maintenance, or the creation of smart diagnostic products for health and wellbeing.

We welcome applications from candidates who are eager to develop an independent research line within the field of smart products and services for a circular and sustainable economy, based on creative, innovative research ideas.

Your research will be executed in close collaboration with our academic and industrial network, and with students in our education programs. As part of building your research, you are expected to explore opportunities for developing and prototyping both hardware and software of smart product-services. Candidates are also expected to contribute to our education activities, including the popular BSc and MSc courses on Design for Sustainability and Circular Product Design. We work with novel and digital education modules for blended education in alignment with the Extension School. 

You have a PhD and teaching experience in industrial design, mechanical engineering and/or electrical engineering or another qualifying background. We are looking for candidates that have an understanding of and experience with the properties of devices, sensors, and actuators that can be connected to the internet, a sense of privacy, safety and quality of life for users participating in distributed systems and a keen eye for the sustainability and circular opportunities that these systems allow. We especially encourage applications from candidates with a quantitative background, and with research experience in the areas of product connectivity and data analytics.

• We furthermore ask for the following qualifications:
•  A proven track record in research, and a career that allows successful applications for individual grants such as VENI/VIDI.
• Hands-on experience in designing tools and prototyping technologies.
• A demonstrable affinity for (sustainable) design
• Affinity for and experience in teaching and development of academic education (at the BSc and MSc levels).
• Ambition and ability to develop a leading research line in the subject described in the position description.
• Affinity with research at the interface of academia and industry, and with working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent English language skills (writing and presenting).

Fixed-term contract: Tenure Track.

 At the start of the tenure-track you will be appointed as Assistant Professor for the duration of six years. Section leader, department leaders and you will agree upon expected performance and (soft) skills. You will receive formal feedback on performance and skills during annual assessment meetings and the mid-term evaluation. If the performance and skills are evaluated positively at the end of the tenure track, you will be appointed in a permanent Assistant Professor position.

TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount for health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. An International Children’s Centre offers childcare and an international primary school. Dual Career Services offers support to accompanying partners. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

TU Delft sets specific standards for the English competency of the teaching staff. TU Delft offers training to improve English competency.

Inspiring, excellent education is our central aim. If you have less than five years of experience and do not yet have your teaching certificate, we allow you up to three years to obtain this.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a multifaceted institution offering education and carrying out research in the technical sciences at an internationally recognised level. Education, research and design are strongly oriented towards applicability. TU Delft develops technologies for future generations, focusing on sustainability, safety and economic vitality. At TU Delft you will work in an environment where technical sciences and society converge. TU Delft comprises eight faculties, unique laboratories, research institutes and schools.

https://www.tudelft.nl

Faculty Industrial Design Engineering

The faculty of Industrial Design Engineering is the largest and broadest scientific design institute in the world, with over 2,000 students, more than 6,000 alumni and 300 staff (researchers and lecturers, including designers from industrial practice). The faculty aims to contribute to a better living environment and respond to social challenges by combining human values and desires with technological feasibility and economic viability. We are excellently placed to do so, as we ground design methods and skills in scientific knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, leading to concrete solutions.

The candidate will be involved in the scientific research and network of the Design for Sustainability group in the Department of Design Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft. The DfS group pursues ground breaking research in circular and sustainable products, systems and services. We are a rapidly expanding group, with 2 full professors, 1 part-time professor, 4 associate and assistant professors, a postdoc and 16 PhD researchers, with an excellent track record in obtaining internationally funded projects, a lively ‘circular design lab’ where graduate students collaborate with partners from our industry network, and a well-equipped applied lab where we experiment with emerging materials and technologies, and build prototypes.

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ide/