Assistant professor in Chemical Engineering with focus on Educational Innovation

Challenge: Sustaining a culture of continuous improvement in chemical engineering education

Change: Pioneering education for aspiring chemical engineers

Impact: Upholding and advancing the standard of excellence in nurturing the next generation of 

At the Department of Chemical Engineering, we transform molecular understanding into practical applications that benefit mankind. Our multidisciplinary approach blends chemistry, mathematics, physics, biology, and material science. We prioritise both excellence in research and education while valuing a supportive culture within our department. As a distinguished university, we educate the next generation of chemical engineers, combining subject expertise and continuous improvement of educational methods. This assistant professor position aims to boost educational innovation in our bachelor and master programs: “Molecular Science and Technology” and “Chemical Engineering”.

As an assistant professor in Chemical Engineering & Educational Innovation, you combine your teaching and research activities in Educational Innovation with research in the field of Chemical Engineering. This enables you to stay grounded in your field of expertise and contribute to cutting edge research, through collaboration with colleagues with a focus on research. In practice, you spend most of your time (about two-thirds) on Educational Innovation. Your impact is to innovate the way we prepare and guide students to make their mark within the field. Examples include the development of a virtual reality lab course that allows students to experience the complexity of industrial scale operation and the design of different study paths enabling a wide variety of students to leverage their potential independent of learning styles or needs. You apply for education-oriented funding and take a lead role in setting up education-oriented collaborations across the department, faculty, and university. Furthermore, you hands-on teach and coach students and teachers, enabling you to test new methods and identify current struggles, needs and opportunities.

To summarise, as an assistant professor with an education profile, you will:

• design, develop and teach courses in the bachelor of science program “Molecular Science and Technology”, the master of science program “Chemical Engineering”, and related programmes
• initiate and develop novel directions in education in the broadest sense (didactics/tools/contents),
• contribute to a collaborative educational culture and an inspiring student-teacher community. You value direct contact with students and are accessible to them. You guide and coach colleagues in their development into good teachers and educational developers. You promote a supportive and inclusive culture for every student and colleague. You make connections between different subjects and with different teachers within the curriculum. You take a leading role in the (re)design of education and assessment.
• integrate societal challenges in courses, making students aware of their career perspectives and empowering them to see their role in society as a TU Delft graduate,
• actively participate in research within the department of Chemical Engineering. You will participate in current research projects (possibly in cooperation with other universities or industry), (co-)supervise PhD, EngD, master and bachelor students in their research, publish or contribute to publications in scientific journals and conference proceedings in your field, and acquire new projects. You are not expected to set up your own line of research in the field of chemical engineering or to acquire funding for it but will be supported to further your career and impact via educational innovation.

• you have a PhD degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, material science or a closely related field, postdoctoral experience is a plus,
• you are enthusiastic about, and preferably have knowledge of and experience with, (didactic) innovations in education. You are passionate about implementing such innovations, at the level of a single course and beyond,
• you have proven experience in university teaching and preferably developed your teaching skills in a university teaching training programme,
• your research expertise in the field of Chemical Sciences is synergetic with the expertise in our department .
• research expertise and/or industrial experience in the chemical design of processes/products and experience in circularity, sustainability, or recycling is considered a plus yet not required,
• you are collegial, have strong communicative qualities to both students and colleagues, and have management and leadership skills that enable you to grow into management positions within the educational organisation of TU Delft.

This position is offered as an Academic Career Track position (0.8 – 1.0 FTE). Young talents should be given time and space to develop and find their niche and focus. After five years (to a maximum of eight years) this transition should have taken place and, when realised, will be confirmed with a promotion to Associate Professor. 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 with, 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 (based on scale 11: € 4.332 – € 5.929). 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.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service addresses the needs of new international employees and those of their partners and families. The Coming to Delft Service offers personalised assistance during the preparation of the relocation, finding housing and schools for children (if applicable). In addition, a Dual Career Programme for partners is offered. The Coming to Delft Service will do their best to help you settle in the Netherlands.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. At TU Delft we embrace diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct ). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

With more than 1,000 employees, including 135 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,400 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we train students in broad Bachelor’s and specialist Master’s programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers and science communicators.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

For more information you can contact Volkert van Steijn

Please submit your application online no later than April 1st, 2024. You can only apply via the application button ‘Apply now’.

To apply, please submit the following:

• Cover letter explaining your motivation to apply for an assistant professor position with the focus on educational innovation opposed to a research focus (max. 2 pages).
• Complete curriculum vitae, including a list of publications.
• Vision on Research in Chemical Sciences Statement (max. 2 pages).
• Vision on Education Statement (max. 2 pages).
• In both Statements, please reflect on how your expertise, research/teaching experience and vision on the future will contribute to research in Chemical Engineering and to Educational Innovation within the field of chemical engineering and further your career.
• Contact details of three references who may be approached at a later stage.

First interviews will be planned in April 2024.