Professor in Product-System Design for Industry 5.0

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world-class, open, pluralistic and socially engaged university. Our credo is 'Dare to Think': we are a haven for courageous thinkers.

With one of the most progressive career models for academics in the world, Ghent University evaluates its scholars not only by the length of their publication list but also by the impact they pursue, what they achieve and how they collaborate.

Are you a good ‘fit’ with our university? Discover here our vision on education and research.

ASSIGNMENT

The faculty of Engineering and Architecture has a vacancy for a professorship, starting from February 1, 2027. It concerns a full-time position as Professor in the rank of Assistant Professor (docent, Tenure Track) in the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, charged with academic teaching (mostly in Dutch), scientific research and institutional and societal engagement in the field of Product-System Design for Industry 5.0.

More information about this vacancy

Academic education
You lecture various course units in the field of Product-System Design for Industry 5.0, drawing on your expertise in several of the following subfields: computational design strategies and digital manufacturing, the application of human- (user-)centered strategies for product realization, technical and structural design, and the Internet of Things (IoT) through theory, practical, and project-based courses in both the bachelor’s and master’s programs in Industrial Design Engineering Technology.

Academic research
You will develop innovative and internationally recognized research in the field of Product-System Design for Industry 5.0. This field is rooted in product design engineering but explicitly addresses the specific challenges and values of Industry 5.0. Industry 5.0 builds on the capabilities of Industry 4.0 and is complemented by a strong focus on human-centered design, sustainability, and resilience. The selected candidate is therefore expected to conduct research in this area. The candidate is also expected to supervise, coordinate and mentor various doctoral dissertations and master’s theses.

Institutional and societal engagement
Based on your expertise and experience, you will contribute to the university's operations and/or take on external assignments.
In addition, in consultation with colleagues, you will take up several organizational and logistical tasks within the department or faculty. The department’s service activities consist primarily of building relationships with companies or their professional associations, particularly through projects and specialized courses. This offers opportunities for research assignments and thesis topics for master’s students. The candidate is expected to participate in these activities, albeit to a limited extent in the early years of the assignment.

PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

• You have a strong academic CV with international visibility in the requested field:
o your achievements in the field of research and education contribute to the development of the scientific domain (e.g. publications, presentations, or other academic output);
o you are capable to initiate and supervise educational and research projects and to acquire the necessary funding for this;
o you are didactically skilled to teach university students to develop academic competences;
o international mobility is recommended.
• You work in a collaborative way and integrate smoothly into the department/faculty. You look for opportunities inside and outside the university and actively use your network to do so.
• You show leadership potential or you have leadership experience. More information about leadership at Ghent University.
• If you do not know Dutch, you are willing to learn it within a period of 5 years and reach CEFR level B2. When taking up a teaching assignment, you must have a command of the language of instruction of the course unit at CEFR level C1. More information about the language requirements and appropriate language guidance at Ghent University.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

We offer you a temporary appointment in the degree of assistant professor in a tenure track system for a term of five years. If positively evaluated by the University Board, the term of office will be transferred into a permanent appointment as an associate professor.
Should you already be a member of the professorial staff or hold an equal post at a university or research institution, you can immediately be appointed as an assistant professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment.

The recruitment is from February 1, 2027.

OUR OFFER

Ghent University has developed a new inspiring career model for professors. Academic freedom and academics' responsibility, talents and ambitions act as a natural drive to advance their careers, as part of teamwork.

Ghent University is specifically committed to guiding international professors in the process of coming to Ghent. At Ghent University, our view is as broad as possible, because internationalisation creates synergies within and outside the institution.

We offer you a wide range of employee benefits. The basic teacher training and courses in 'Dutch' and 'English' for foreign-speaking lecturers are just a few of our wide range of courses and training.

Candidates who are newly appointed at Ghent University with an appointment of at least 50% receive a Starting Grant of € 240,000 to contribute towards the personnel, operating and/or equipment costs. Furthermore, professors who meet the conditions may be eligible for Basic Research Funding.

DIVERSITY

Ghent University pursues an equal opportunities policy and values everyone's talent, regardless of gender, age, philosophy of life, skin color, sexual orientation, migration background or disability. We encourage everyone to apply.

Interruptions in research careers and/or atypical career paths (e.g. relevant experience outside the academic sector) will be taken into account when assessing the application.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection committee will carry out an initial, substantive screening of the admissible applications on the file. This assessment takes into consideration both the candidate's merits and potential.

Ghent University emphasizes the qualitative assessment of academic performance. Therefore, candidates are asked in the application form to mention their most important academic or non-academic achievements with the most impact.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in either an on-site or virtual visit to the research group, including an informal meeting with, amongst others, the department chair and the head of the research group.

For shortlisted candidates, the following steps in the selection procedure shall consist of at least:
- a selection interview in which the vision and planning regarding education, research, and institutional and societal engagement as well as the embedding in the bigger picture are discussed; to this end, these candidates will also be asked to prepare a statement outlining their vision as well as a well-defined research plan;
- a trial lesson on a subject in the relevant field;
- a screening of leadership and interpersonal skills.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

- You hold a thesis-based doctorate or a diploma or certificate that is recognized as equivalent.
- You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on February 1, 2027. This term of two years is determined by the date mentioned on the required diploma.
- Your application meets the formal requirements (submitted on time, complete: with a completed application form and a copy of the diploma, delivered via e-recruitment).

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late or incomplete applications, or applications that are not sent through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

- In the field ‘Application form’: the completed application form + any attachments merged into one pdf file. Additional documents will later be requested from shortlisted candidates.
- In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
- In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in your possession). For diplomas awarded in the UK before January 31st of 2020, a certificate of equivalence is not required.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information regarding this vacancy, please contact Professor Kim Verbeken, chair of the faculty selection committee ([email protected], +32 9 3310453).

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