Postdoctoral Position in Systemic Design

Job description

Imagine designing for climate injustice, our healthcare crisis, or to convince people to eat less meat. Or finding new methods to understand the drivers behind democratic participation. Perhaps you dream of helping to relieve poverty in socially disadvantaged communities. Or assisting the local government in combatting street harassment. These are just a few of the many areas you could use Systemic Design to make the changes you want to see in society.

We invite you to advance our expertise in Systemic Design together at the prestigious Delft University of Technology. Join our world-class Systemic Design Lab in Delft and tackle the challenges of tomorrow. Here, you will be working at the forefront of the field as part of a young, international, cross-departmental team that learns together and believes in the power of integrating design and systems thinking to achieve systemic change. You will get to work on the causes closest to your heart while contributing to the advancement of Systemic Design as a field of design research.

The Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology is looking for a Postdoctoral researcher in the area of Systemic Design.

In this role, you will contribute to TU Delft’s research in systemic design and develop new methods and tools to design for complex societal challenges. You will contribute to our educational modules in Systemic Design in addition to building a systemic design research community within the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Department of Design, Organisation and Strategy (DOS) and help us to take a leading role in the field. Organising events and actively engaging with the (global) community will be part of your role. You will also liaise with external stakeholders varying from government agencies to social sector organisations, to design agencies and companies for education and research purposes. Writing articles to disseminate your research is also part of your responsibilities. In addition, you will supervise Master's thesis projects and teach design students. You will have the opportunity to further develop the Systemic Design Studio within our Master’s program. Down the road, a Postdoc in Systemic Design at TU Delft will offer great prospects for advancement.

The Postdoc researcher will be part of the Design, Organization and Strategy (DOS) Department at the Industrial Design Engineering Faculty. DOS focuses on the strategic role of design in organisations and ecosystems with the intention to improve and renew their strategies and thereby concurrently co-create value for individuals, organisations, and society at large. He/she will be supervised by Dr. Sine Celik (DOS). He/she will become a part of the Systemic Design Lab and also be frequently interacting with the lively, international, and diverse partners within different projects.

The prefered start date for the position is beginning of 2025 (earlier starting date is prefered) until 31.12.2026.

Your primary duties as a Postdoc will be:

• Defining, coordinating and conducting your research activities that are needed to achieve the objectives of the Postdoc research
• Contributing to systemic design related courses at IDE
• Sharing and aligning your research activities and outcomes with related tasks
• Contributing and participating in the dissemination, communication and exploitation activities
• Publishing journal/conference papers
• Translating your research into educational modules for higher and professional education

Job requirements

You have the drive to make a difference. Designing for complexity captivates and inspires you. Open-minded and ambitious, you’re not daunted by big, complex topics, which can be cognitively and emotionally challenging to some. And you can deal with the ambiguities that come with pioneering in a new field.

You also have:

• A PhD in Systemic Design, Design Methodology, or a related area.
• Demonstration of publication track record in peer-reviewed journals and conferences relevant to Systemic Design
• Experience with teaching and coaching (design) students at bachelor and master level
• Teamwork skills and a collaborative mindset
• Excellent command of the English language

Additionally

• Experience with grant writing or other ways to acquire research funding is an advantage
• Proficiency in Dutch language is a plus

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering

Matching the evolution of people with the speed of the revolution of technology. This is the focus of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE). Delft designers act as a bridge between advances in technology and the needs of people, organisations and society to create products, services and systems with purpose.

IDE is a leader in design research across the application areas of mobility, sustainability and health, as well as its development of design tools and methods. A 350-strong research team and over 2,000 students work together in our inspiring hall, labs and studios.

In close cooperation with industry, the public sector and NGOs we rehearse possible futures in research and education to design for a complex future.