Skip to main content

This job has expired

Tenure-Track or Teaching-Track Faculty Position in Product Design

Employer
Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design
Location
Oakland, PA
Closing date
Nov 30, 2021

View more

Sector
Other
Organization Type
Corporate
Tenure-Track or Teaching-Track Faculty Position in Product Design The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,
PA, welcomes applications for a tenure-track or teaching-track
position at the rank of assistant professor for Fall 2022.
Position and Qualifications

We are looking for a tenure-track or teaching-track faculty member
to enrich the School's work in product design, emphasizing
contributions to our BDes Products track. The ideal candidate
brings an innovative approach to industrial design, physical
product design, tangible interaction, or similar areas with
possible experience in furniture and/or interactive objects. We are
seeking an established maker and thinker with rich analog craft
skills and expertise in digital tools who can operate across the
physical, digital, and phygital modes of product design. Their work
and interests would be naturally situated in our prototyping lab
and hold both traditional and contemporary skill sets in product
design/product development.
We are seeking a faculty member who will:

Teach various classes across all levels of the undergraduate
(BDes) and graduate (MDes, MPS, MA) programs, at times in a
co-teaching capacity
Advise masters' theses in Interaction Design and possibly PhD
students in Transition Design
Have a keen eye on the state of design practice
internationally, evidenced through their research, practice, and/or
teaching
Engage in "research through designing"
Commit to contributing to and promoting a culture of equity and
inclusion, including in teaching, research, creative practice, and
service
Be familiar with critical issues including social, political,
environmental and economic and their connection and relevance to
product design
Be approachable and will grow within our university
context
If choosing to apply as a tenure-track faculty member: show an
interest in or evidence of current/future design research and
creative practice
If choosing to apply as teaching-track faculty: in place of
scholarly research, teach additional courses, and participate in
professional practice.

The School invites applicants with the following
qualifications:

A terminal degree in a design related field (e.g., Master of
Design, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, and/or PhD) or
equivalent professional experience
Experience designing innovative products with a record in
professional and creative practice to serve a diverse student
body
University-level teaching experience at the undergraduate and
graduate levels or equivalent professional experience
Additional areas of expertise and/or experience in one or more
of the following areas:
Industrial design/product development methods and practice
Critical design, Speculative Design, Tangible Interaction
Design, Design History
New approaches in form-giving, fabrication, production
Competency with traditional fabrication equipment, contemporary
digital tools, electronics bench work
Sustainable material practices/production
Soft goods, wearables
CAD/CAM, Grasshopper, Arduino, Processing, etc
Physical computing, creative coding

About the position options
Tenure-Track

In addition to teaching four classes per academic year,
tenure-track faculty are expected to produce research, scholarly
work, artistic work, and/or engage in design practice that elevates
the field. Examples of faculty activities include but are not
limited to: participation in practice-based research, a significant
client base, gallery exhibitions; work published, in print or
online, in scholarly, popular journals, and trade publications;
invited talks/workshops at notable national and international
venues; patents held; items in production or collections; grants
and sponsored research; professional honors and awards; and
significant contributions to professional societies and
organizations.
Teaching-Track

In place of research, teaching-track faculty take on an additional
two courses, for six courses per academic year. Teaching-track
faculty also frequently participate in freelance or consultancy
work or other external professional activities that inform and
continually advance their teaching.
Track and rank are negotiable, and all positions include a
comprehensive benefits package and a competitive salary.
Application Package

Interested individuals should include the following in their
application package:

A letter of application that includes:
Stated interest in either a tenure-track or teaching-track
position
Your interest in this position and how you see yourself fitting
into the program, for example, courses within our curriculum that
you might teach, a description of projects, and courses or
initiatives you would like to develop in the future
Your position on the current and future state of design
education and practice
A one-page statement about your past, present, or future
contribution to promoting a positive culture of diversity, equity,
and inclusion as exemplified through teaching, research, practice,
and outreach
A one-page statement that describes your approach and
overarching goals as an educator
A one-page statement that describes the topics you aim to
investigate and their importance to the field if applying for a
tenure-track position
Current resume or Curriculum Vitae
8-10 visual examples and descriptions of student work as
evidence of your teaching experience, where applicable, and/or
descriptions of potential projects
2-3 examples of course syllabi, where applicable, and/or
descriptions of potential courses
A portfolio that includes 8-10 visual examples and descriptions
of creative practice in personal work, professional work, and
research relevant to the position (web link preferred)
Select examples of publications if applicable 1-3 examples of
publications (e.g., journal articles, books, chapters, published
conference papers, exhibition catalogs) and research proposals, if
applying for a tenure-track position
3 professional references - please include name, title, phone
number, address, and email

Candidates should apply online at: https://apply.interfolio.com/97949

The deadline for submission of applications is January 9, 2022.
Interviews will be conducted from late January through mid-March
2022. Successful candidates will be notified in early April in
anticipation of a fall 2022 academic start date.
About the School of Design

The School takes a transdisciplinary approach to design education,
and its position within a premier research university provides
faculty with an unparalleled opportunity to collaborate with
colleagues from diverse disciplines. Faculty at the School of
Design believe in teaching through making, are passionate about
their work, and interact with students at all levels in our
program. We have a highly collaborative, values-based culture, and
faculty frequently "team teach" with colleagues with complementary
expertise. We are actively engaged in a conversation about the
future and the positive role of design and designers. The School of
Design's approximately 225 students come from various backgrounds
and bring a diverse set of experiences to their education.
The School offers a Bachelor's degree in Design (BDes) with
undergraduate curriculum tracks in Communication Design, Product
Design, and Environments. At the graduate level, we offer a
two-year Master of Design degree (MDes), a one-year Master of
Professional Studies degree (MPS), and a one-year Master of Arts
degree (MA). The School of Design offers a PhD in Transition
Design.
More information on the School of Design can be found on the
School's website at: www.design.cmu.edu.
About the Product Design Track

The Product Design track in the School of Design explores themes of
materiality, interaction, and technology through rich practices of
form-giving, design research, and iterative development. We aspire
for the products we design to play important roles in advancing the
state of the world, enhancing the human experience, and advocating
for a critical balance between the built and natural worlds. Our
program offers a novel disciplinary approach that provides for
students to develop the requisite 21st century skill set, mindset,
and motivation to use Product Design practice for positive benefit
across a variety of industries, organizations, and contexts.
Further, our curriculum acknowledges that no product exists in
isolation-it is always part of larger complex social, political,
environmental, and economic systems. We believe that Product Design
today operates within these established systems and works to change
the status quo through equitable, progressive, and sustainable
approaches. Continue reading here:

https://design.cmu.edu/content/products
About the College of Fine Arts

Since its founding, Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine
Arts (CFA) has provided an unparalleled platform for groundbreaking
critical inquiry and creative production. CFA is distinguished as
one of the few colleges in the nation to encompass rigorous
conservatory-style education, multidisciplinary studio training,
and vanguard research under one umbrella. CFA is organized into
five schools: the School of Architecture, School of Art, School of
Design, School of Drama, and School of Music, and also includes a
robust ecology of interdisciplinary programs.
About Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, top-ranked global research
university recognized for its excellence in the arts, technology,
transdisciplinary programs, and research and located in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Keywords: Assistant Professor, Location: Pittsburgh, PA - 15213

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert