Job description

The The School of Art and Design (A&D) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications for Clinical Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (non-tenure-track) faculty ranks, depending on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and record of achievement.

These positions offer exciting opportunities to contribute to and expand one of the nation's leading Industrial Design programs through design research, creative practice, teaching, and professional engagement. We seek accomplished designer-educators whose work advances industrial design as a discipline that integrates human-centered inquiry, creativity, technology, making, and innovation to address contemporary human, social, environmental, and technological challenges.

For clinical appointments, we seek candidates with substantial professional experience and creative practice in industrial design who can translate contemporary industry knowledge into exceptional teaching, mentorship, curriculum development, and professional engagement. Successful candidates will help prepare students for professional careers while strengthening connections between the classroom, industry, and emerging areas of design practice.

Industrial Design at Illinois is grounded in the core competencies of industrial design, including human-centered design, design visualization, prototyping, materials and manufacturing, systems thinking, critical inquiry, and innovation. We are particularly interested in candidates who understand industrial design not only as the development of products and experiences, but also as a means of generating new knowledge, advancing responsible innovation, and creating meaningful impact across physical, digital, social, and environmental contexts.

As part of a world-class research university, faculty in Industrial Design benefit from extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues across engineering, computer science, business, healthcare, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and emerging technology initiatives. The successful candidate will join a collaborative community committed to advancing the future of industrial design through research, creative practice, education, and public engagement.

About the Position
The School of Art & Design invites applications for clinical faculty positions in Industrial Design at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Industrial Design at Illinois embraces a broad understanding of design as a human- centered, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented discipline. Both positions contribute to undergraduate and graduate education, student mentorship, curriculum development, and service, emphasizing professional practice, teaching excellence, industry engagement, and applied creative work.

Areas of Professional Experience and Creative Practice
We seek candidates whose professional experience and creative practice are grounded in the core competencies of industrial design and demonstrate excellence in the development, implementation, and delivery of products, services, systems, and experiences. Candidates should possess significant industry experience and the ability to connect professional practice with innovative teaching and mentorship.

Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

Industrial and product design practice
Product development and commercialization
Color, Material, Finishing (CMF) practices
Human-centered design and user experience
Design strategy and innovation
Design visualization, communication, and storytelling
Materials, manufacturing, and production processes
Digital fabrication, prototyping, and model making
Emerging technologies and AI-enabled design workflows
Design consulting, entrepreneurship, and business innovation
Design leadership and multidisciplinary collaboration

Candidates should demonstrate professional impact through products, patents, consulting work, entrepreneurial ventures, design leadership, or other notable professional achievements.


Responsibilities
Faculty members will:
Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Industrial Design
Mentor and advise students
Contribute to curriculum development and program advancement
Participate in service activities within the program, School, College, University, and profession
Foster interdisciplinary collaborations across campus and beyond
Maintain active engagement with contemporary professional practice
Strengthen industry partnerships and experiential learning opportunities
Advance professional practice education and career preparation initiatives

Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in industrial design, product design, or a closely related field
Experience developing products / launching products
Knowledge of manufacturing
3D CAD(SolidWorks) and 3D visualization (Keyshot)
Visualization by both digital and hand sketching

Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree, terminal degree, or equivalent professional credentials in Industrial Design or a closely related field
Experience teaching in higher education
Expertise in emerging technologies, sustainability, or innovation-driven design practice
To be considered Clinical Associate Professor, international professional recognition
To be considered Clinical Associate Professor, leadership experience in industry, consultancy, or professional organizations
To be considered Clinical Associate Professor, experience developing partnerships with industry, community, or research organizations

Desired Candidate Profile
The strongest candidates will demonstrate excellence in industrial design fundamentals, including human-centered design, design process, visualization, prototyping, communication, critical thinking, and innovation. They will contribute to a collaborative academic culture while advancing a distinguished professional practice and will help prepare students to become leaders in the evolving field of industrial design.

Application Materials
Required application materials include:

Cover letter
-Please describe your creative and teaching practices and how they could contribute to industrial design teaching and creative practice within the Industrial Design program.
-Please discuss potential connections between your practice and research areas
-Candidates may also use the cover letter to describe how their professional or educational background prepares them for either Clinical Assistant or Associate Professor rank.
Curriculum vitae
Teaching statement
Design Philosophy Statement
Portfolio of creative work
-PDF or link to an online portfolio
-Please identify your role in collaborative or professionally produced work when appropriate.
Samples of syllabus, if available
Samples of student work, if available
Names and contact information for three references
-Name, Title, Email, and Phone Numbers

Appointment Information
This is a 100% full-time, nine-month Clinical Assistant/Associate Professor appointment (paid over 12 months), with an initial one-year appointment that may be renewed subject to programmatic needs and available resources. The expected start date is August 16, 2027.

The salary range for the position is $65,000-$70,000 for Assistant Professor and $74,000-$82,000 for Associate Professor. We strive to provide a competitive salary, considering factors such as available market data, internal equity, candidate’s experience and qualifications, and budget
constraints.

This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information
Applications must be received by 6:00pm (Central Time) on December 15, 2026.

Applications not submitted through jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered.

For further information about this specific position, please contact Bobbie Clegg at [email protected]. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal, or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or [email protected].