Temporary Assistant Professor in Product Design

Posting Details

Job Title Temporary Assistant Professor in Product Design

Requisition Number FE04937

Working Title

Department Name 8N700:Product Design

Work Location Lexington, KY

Type of Position Faculty

Position Time Status Full-Time

Tenure Track Status Non-Tenure Track

Required Education

A professional or terminal degree in product design or related field (BS, BID, BA, MS, MDes, etc.).

Required Related Experience

• Outstanding professional work and experience may be considered as a substitution for a terminal degree.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of students, faculty, staff, and other members of the educational environment.
• Strong understanding and application of design process within or across a range of industries.

Required License/Registration/Certification

n/a

Job Summary

The Department of Product Design at the University of Kentucky is currently accepting applications for a Temporary Assistant Professor (non-tenure-eligible) for the 2026-2027 academic year. We are seeking individuals who are passionate about design education and the critical role educators play in equipping students for careers across the spectrum of product design practice.

This position is open to a wide range of backgrounds and experiences in the product design field and, while preferred, teaching experience in higher education is not required. This position is a full-time 9-month appointment with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2026, and an appointment period of one year to end May 15, 2027\.

Job Summary

This position supports the educational mission of the Product Design program, focusing on quality instruction across studio, lecture, and/or workshop courses in our newly revised undergraduate curriculum.

Applicants should have a strong understanding of human-centered design processes as applied to the development and delivery of physical and/or digital products, systems, or services. Ideal candidates should be qualified and able to teach at any level of our four-year undergraduate program and contribute to multiple courses within the curriculum’s course series: Studios (hands-on, applied projects), Means of Communication (drawing, visualization, graphics), Means of Production (CAD, materials, prototyping, UX/UI), and Design Contexts (history, ethics, professional practice); opportunities to offer special topic electives courses also exist in this role.

This is a teaching position with no expectation of research; however, the selected candidate will contribute to service activities of the Department of Product Design.

Please apply directly via the UK Jobs System. A complete application must include and will be evaluated based on the following materials:

• Cover letter
• Current curriculum vitae or resume highlighting relevant academic and/or professional experience
• Examples of teaching and/or professional practice (10 pages maximum, upload as Specific Request 1)

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue as needed until a pool of qualified candidates is established or the position is filled. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Adam Feld, Chair of the Department of Product Design or Jennie Boyd, Faculty Resource Manager: [email protected].

For more information about the Department of Product Design, the College of Design, and the University of Kentucky, please visit: https://design.uky.edu

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

To meet the program’s vision of breadth and depth in design education, we welcome candidates with experience in any of the following areas:

• Product/Industrial Design
• Medical Device and System Design
• Digital Product/Interaction Design
• Design Research
• Visual Communication
• Computer Aided Design
• Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Design Foundations
• Design Discourse
• Fabrication/Manufacturing
• Traditional and/or Emerging Materials and Processes
• Entrepreneurship
• Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence
• Augmented/Virtual/Mixed Reality
• Soft Goods and/or Textiles Design
• Experimental Design Practice

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No

Preferred Education/Experience

• Teaching experience in higher education.

Deadline to Apply

Open Until Filled Yes

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco \& Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.