Assistant Professor Sustainable and Circular Healthcare Design

Developing (smart) products and services for a more sustainable and circular healthcare sector? Join us as an Assistant Professor in Sustainable and Circular Healthcare Design.

The Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) at TU Delft is seeking a talented and proactive Academic Career Track (ACT) candidate to strengthen our rapidly growing research area on sustainable and circular healthcare. This position focuses on developing design-driven approaches for medical devices and services that support the transition towards a more sustainable and circular healthcare system. We welcome applicants who are eager to establish an independent research line in the field of (smart) products and services for a circular and sustainable healthcare economy, grounded in creative and innovative research ideas.

Healthcare systems are under growing pressure to reduce their environmental impact while continuing to deliver high-quality and safe care. In the Netherlands, the healthcare sector accounts for more than 7% of the national ecological footprint and is still largely dependent on single use products—a linear economic model. This creates an urgent need for circular strategies such as reducing, reusing (including reprocessing), remanufacturing, repairing, and recycling medical devices to extend product lifetimes and close material loops.

Developing and implementing sustainable medical technologies requires close collaboration between designers, engineers, clinicians, business developers, and healthcare organizations. This Academic Career Track position is designed to connect industrial design engineering, medtech industry, and clinical practice, accelerating the creation and adoption of sustainable and circular healthcare solutions.

The successful candidate will establish an independent research line focused on the design of sustainable and circular medical technologies, including physical and digital medical products and product–service systems. The research will develop methods, tools, knowledge, and prototypes that support designers and healthcare professionals in addressing environmental impact alongside clinical effectiveness, safety, and usability. The work will result in academic publications as well as practical interventions to feed the transitions towards a more sustainable healthccare system. The candidate will actively seek external funding and further extend our collaborations with clinical and industrial partners.

In addition to research, the candidate will contribute to the educational programmes of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. This includes developing and teaching new courses and contributing to curriculum development in the area of medical technology and healthcare design, at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. The candidate will supervise MSc graduation projects and PhD candidates.

We are looking for candidates that have the drive to make a difference. Circular Economy, Sustainability and Healthcare Systems inspire and motivate you.

• You have a PhD and teaching experience in industrial design engineering, (bio)mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, or other related fields. Preferably you have a Post Doc or an equivalent of at least two years of post-PhD experience.
• You have experience in conducting research and writing academic papers in health or care-related contexts.
• You have affinity and preferably experience with Design for Sustainability, Medical Device Design, Circular Economy, Co-creation and Human Centered Design.
• You have good social, communication and organization skills to work effectively in transdisciplinary teams.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, your proficiency in English is good and knowledge of Dutch language is an advantage.
• You have a demonstrated ability to engage with industry, societal partners and academic communities.
• You are a team player who wants to contribute to the sustainable transition of the healthcare sector.

This position is offered as an Academic Career Track position (0.8 – 1.0 FTE).

During the Academic Career Track, we expect you to grow towards an Associate Professor position within a maximum of eight years, for which a position will be available. With other Academic Career Track colleagues, you will participate in the Academic Career Track Development programme, where you are offered ample opportunities to develop yourself in the areas of Education, Research, Societal Impact & Innovation, and Leadership & Organisation. You will regularly discuss your development and results with senior staff based on a personalized development plan and performance criteria agreed upon at the start of your Academic Career Track. You will start with a temporary contract that will be converted to a permanent contract no later than 12–18 months after a positive evaluation, based on continuous confidence in your development potential and fit in the organisation.

Inspiring, excellent education is our central aim. We expect you to obtain a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) within three years if you have less than five years of teaching experience. This is provided by the TU Delft UTQ programme as part of the Academic Career Track Development programme.

TU Delft sets high standards for the English competency of the teaching staff. The TU Delft offers training to improve English competency. If you do not speak Dutch, we offer courses to learn the Dutch language within three years.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged and you can work partly from home.

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, provides information and personal one-on-one guidance to help you prepare your relocation, and to find housing and schools for children (if applicable). In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

For more information about the department and this position you can contact prof. Dr. Ir. J.C. Diehl (Design for Inclusive Sustainable Healthcare) j.c.diehl@tudelft.nl

Information on some of our Circular Healthcare projects can be found at https://esch-r.org and https://sustainablehospital.org