Job Details

Assistant/Associate Professor (Lecturer), Physical Product Design

Position Number: 6830688
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Position Type: Fine and Applied Arts - Industrial Design

Assistant/Associate Professor (Lecturer), Physical Product Design

Details

The Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design (MDD) is now accepting applications for a full-time assistant or associate professor in design, specializing in physical product design. This is a full-time, 9-month faculty position with an expected start date of July 2026.

Housed within the College of Architecture + Planning, MDD promotes design education across disciplines through an innovative curriculum and broad research activities. With 3 areas of curriculum focus across digital, physical, and exploratory design areas, we are a community of academics, professionals, and students engaging in design to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.

A consistent thread of innovative design education runs throughout MDD. The program includes a breadth of products' in its purview, encompassing physical and digital artifacts at various scales, as well as service and systems design. The MDD curriculum is strategically designed around Studio Practice, Technical Competency, Historical and Theoretical Foundations, and Applied Practice. The program integrates artistic, technical, and theoretical frameworks to foster a comprehensive design education. This integrative approach promotes critical analysis, inventive thinking, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, leveraging a curriculum that incorporates additional expertise from architecture, fine arts, communication, business, engineering, and computer science. Key educational imperatives include promoting inquiry-driven learning, advancing visual literacy, fostering methodological experimentation, and cultivating collaborative capabilities. This multi-disciplinary approach, along with collaborations with community stakeholders and industry partners, enable students to engage with authentic design challenges, enhancing both their professional preparedness and societal impact.

Scholarship and creative activity within the Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design reflect the program's broad and practice-driven approach, integrating design research, technology, material studies, and community engagement. MDD faculty produce a wide range of scholarly outputs, including peer-reviewed journal articles, patents, design exhibitions, book chapters, funded research projects, interactive media, and public installations. This diverse body of work accommodates multiple forms of design practice, ensuring that research remains both theoretically rigorous and practically applied.

Position Description

This position will have a specific focus on physical product design. We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in the design and development of tangible products, from initial concept to production. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of human-centered design principles, materials, and manufacturing processes, as well as the ability to guide students in creating innovative and meaningful physical products. In this career line position, the candidate's primary responsibility will be teaching with opportunities for service depending on the candidate's strengths and departmental needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

A terminal degree or its equivalent in Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related field.
Excellent communication skills that facilitate discussions and interactions beyond disciplinary boundaries.
Ability to work with a range of design tools and processes, including digital tools and / or physical modeling and visualization. Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Rhino) and other relevant design tools is essential.
Demonstrated record of design experience, with a portfolio showcasing a variety of design projects that demonstrate creativity, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
Experience practicing design management and strategy, for example leadership of multi-disciplinary project teams (and ability to teach this).
Knowledge of design thinking methodologies and user-centered design principles.
Understanding of manufacturing processes and materials selection for product development.
For appointment at an associate professor (lecturer) rank, demonstrated record of teaching courses related to product design and innovation to university level students across year levels.

Preferred Qualifications:

Ability to span across disciplinary boundaries to see the relationship between making, theory, history, sustainability, and the non-human world.
Ability to explore and integrate innovative technologies and alternative ways of making and crafting, including familiarity with rapid prototyping techniques and tools using digital fabrication.
An advanced degree (doctorate).
Evidence of recognition of teaching and design achievements (e.g., awards).
Familiarity with relevant industry standards and regulations, such as ISO, ASTM, or UL.
Demonstrated record of research/creative activities in peer-reviewed exhibits, showcases, publications, etc.
Experience with curriculum design, assessment, and review.

Potential applicants are encouraged to consult the program web site at www.design.utah.edu

Qualified applicants must submit:

A curriculum vitae.
A letter of application including statements of pedagogical and research/creative objectives.
A website link with portfolio and/or a 20 page (max) design portfolio (20 MB limit submitted as pdf with examples of design and / or teaching and / or scholarly work).
A list of three references (with phone numbers, mailing and e-mail addresses).

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on 31 January 2026. Applications will remain open for consideration until this position is filled.

Please address questions for this position to Associate Professor Jim Agutter, Search Committee Chair, University of Utah, email: agutterja@arch.utah.edu)

About the University

The University of Utah (the U) is the state's flagship institution of higher education, with 18 schools and colleges, more than 100 undergraduate and 90 graduate degree programs, and an enrollment of more than 32,000 students. In 2019, the University joined the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only, prestigious group of 65 leading research institutions marked by excellence in academic expertise and research impact, student success, and securing resources in support of core missions, which are focused on serving the growing student population at the U.

The U is located in Salt Lake City, one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing-economically and culturally-metropolises in the U.S. The city is uniquely situated to offer both unmatched outdoor and exciting urban experiences, with mountain vistas only a few steps away and vast red-rock desert landscapes within reach of a scenic afternoon drive. Additionally, the Utah Asia Campus was established in 2014 and is located in Songdo International Business District in South Korea. Students attending the Utah Asia Campus find the same world-class U.S. academic experience offered at the campus in Salt Lake City.

At the U, you'll find world-class research, education, and clinical care complemented by a lively social, cultural, and athletic campus experience. An unparalleled spirit of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and community service has enabled the U to innovate across fields, pioneer new programs with social impact, generate path-breaking discoveries, fuel critical research, and inspire innovative approaches to education. The U strives to be a model public university in delivering unmatched value in higher education and health care while making social, economic, and cultural contributions that improve the quality of life throughout the state, the nation, and the world. The University's reputation for excellence draws top-tier faculty and attracts motivated students from around the world. Students bring diverse experiences and outlooks - representing both traditional and nontraditional students- thereby enhancing the exceptional educational experience the University offers.

Department: 01138 - Design
City: Salt Lake City, UT
Track: Non Tenure Track
Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes
Requisition Number: PRN01459CF

To apply, visit https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/194463

All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at:
https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/
Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu