Lecturer In Service Design & Designlabs Civic Lead

Lecturer in Service Design & DesignLabs: Civic Lead

School/Unit: School of Design

Department:Product Design

Post Title: Lecturer in Service Design & DesignLabs Civic Lead

Post Duration: Full-Time, Permanent

Grade: Lecturer

Reports to: Head of Department of Product Design

Salary:NCAD Lecturer - €64581 - €103,501* per annum

*Candidates should note that as per Department of Finance guidelines, entry will be at the first point of the salary scale and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with government pay policy. Candidates should note that different pay and conditions may apply if, immediately prior to appointment, the appointee is a serving civil or public servant.

Location: This position is based at NCAD, 100 Thomas Street, Dublin

Background

The School of Design within the College comprises of 3 departments:

● Product Design (BA Product Design, BA and MA Interaction Design, MSc Medical Device Design and MA Service Design)

● Communication Design (BA Graphic Design, BA Illustration, BA Moving Image Design and MA Graphic Design)

● Design for Body and Environment (BA Fashion Design, BA Jewellery & Objects, BA Textile & Surface Design and MA Circular by Design).

The aim of the School of Design is to create a design culture engaged in ongoing debate on all aspects of design; a culture that thrives on new ideas, new ways of doing things and new areas of exploration. We encourage our students to experiment and take risks in order to carve new aesthetic paths and make technical innovations within, and beyond, their design discipline. We have extensive links with Industry, and students regularly work on live projects within a commercial, social or cultural context. The College seeks to ensure that our design students develop the necessary creative, technical, thinking and interpersonal skills to become highly employable graduates, entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

The Role:

The Product Design department has five-degree programmes, each of which has a lead who is responsible for oversight and development of the relevant programme. The department has a shared commitment to design for positive impact, interdisciplinary studio-based learning and making. The department team represents a wide range of academic and industry experience. The successful candidate for this role will operate within the department, working both as Programme Lead (see appendix one) for the MA Service Design and Lead for DesignLabs: Civic.

MA Service Design, Lecturer & Programme Lead (0.6)

The MA Service Design programme is a 24-month, part-time 90 credit course that teaches students the application of service design methods, tools, and thinking in real-world contexts. The course brings together students from a wide range of disciplines to collaborate with peers and industry in a hybrid learning environment. The programme was the first programme of its kind in Ireland and has an established track record of award-winning graduates who play leading roles in the design and delivery of services across a variety of industries and sectors, from healthcare and finance to transportation and education.

This role combines both programme leadership and a teaching commitment. As a result, the successful candidate will be required to lead the MA Service Design and collaborate with an established and dynamic team of academics in the taught delivery of all aspects of the programme.

The programme is part of a suite of postgraduate courses in Service Design including a Professional Certificate (5 credits) and Professional Diploma (20 credits), and the role will involve the ongoing enhancement and development of new routes and structures within our full and part-time postgraduate provision.

Designlab: Civic, Lead (0.4)

DesignLab: Civic is a recently launched national centre for applied design research in public sector transformation. Through a range of collaborations, the lab is exploring how we can use design processes to (re)build trust in our public services and to better support participatory governance.

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and developing the lab. It will be an opportunity to shape the focus, partnerships and projects of this new research space.

The DesignLab: Civic, Lead role is fixed term through to Jan 2028 after which the role is reviewed and subject to funding either continues or reverts to full time lecturer.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

MA Service Design, Lecturer & Programme Lead (0.6)

● Actively contribute to postgraduate and undergraduate teaching within the Product Design department with a primary focus on the MA Service Design.

● Act as the Programme Leader for the MA Service Design programme, including but not limited to course development, examination and assessment, quality assurance and enhancement, plus associated administration. Full duties of a programme leader are found in Appendix One.

● Support the delivery of related content within the School of Design’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

● Enhance and promote the reputation of the School of Design and Department of Product Design by liaising and cooperating with other national and international institutions.

● Ensure that the content of our teaching reflects and meets the requirements of related industries, including regularly reviewing and adapting course content and structure.

● Engage in the student recruitment process, including interviews, selection and assessments as required to ensure an appropriate number and level of student cohort.

● Engage with industry and research partners.

● Contribute to the general administration of the Department.

● Contribute to the academic life of the Department, School and College.

● Contribute to the wider educational community.

● Undertake such other duties as may be assigned by the Head of Department and/or Appropriate Officer from time to time.

See ‘Appendix 1’ for Duties of Programme Lead and DesignLab Civic Lead

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory Criteria

● A significant track record in Service Design in industry and/or Higher Education.

● Post-graduate degree in Service Design or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

● A minimum of 3 years industry and/or teaching experience with a focus on human-centred design for Services.

● Experience leading academic programmes and/or service design related industry teams.

● Experience in developing and delivering high-quality teaching within a higher education environment.

● Commitment to engagement with emerging research, design methods, technology and tools.

● Proficiency in Service Design methodologies and workflows.

Desirable Criteria

● PhD in Service Design or a related field.

● Demonstrable record of developing and maintaining partnerships in industry and/or academia.

● Strong, demonstrable commitment to research and international scholarship / professional practice / publication.

● Experience of applying ethnographic and co-design methods in research or practice.

Appendix 1:

Duties of a Programme Leader

In order to support the administrative requirements of this programme leader role, you will receive a reduction of contact teaching time (60 hours per academic year) which will be added as academic administration to undertake the below duties:

The high-level duties of a programme leader are as follows:

● Oversee all curricular matters related to the programme, including timetabling and the management of modules where appropriate as well as the preparation of documentation for revisions to programme specifications, course offerings,

● Prepare Draft Timetables for each year of the programme.

● Plan and manage the scheduling of the resources required to deliver the programme and the courses therein (this involves identifying such resources as staff, facilities (including rooms) and equipment and other support systems.)

● Oversee all programme assessment procedures, which may also involve liaising with External Examiners. Prepare results for Internal Exam Board Meetings and Chair those meetings. With the assistance of the School Administration team, ensure that these results are then submitted to Student Services and Admissions

● Support the programme team in identifying and addressing academic welfare concerns affecting students registered to the programme, escalating issues as appropriate.

● Provide students with feedback in relation to assessment performance and evaluate performance across a range of modules.

● Collate and respond to student feedback

● Plan and implement an effective induction programme for students

● Convene programme team meetings and support staff in developing content, teaching methodologies and assessment materials

● Manage the quality assurance processes associated with the programme

● Manage the student selection and interview processes, where relevant in collaboration with NCAD Academic Registry

● Work with the Admission office to develop recruitment strategies for the programme as appropriate

● Work with the Head of Department/Head of School to develop industry and sectoral partnerships for the programme

● Each programme has specific tasks relating to recruitment, external stakeholders,

● Undertake any other appropriate duties as may be assigned by the Appropriate Officer from time to time

Duties of a DesignLab: Lead

In order to support the leadership and development of DesignLabs Civic 0.4 of your full time contract through to Jan 2028 will be allocated to this role.

The high-level duties of a DesignLab Lead are as follows:

● Providing academic leadership and strategic direction for the Lab.

● Shaping, developing, and overseeing the research activities and programmes of the

Lab.

● Line management (oversight of work activities, mentoring, performance review and co-ordination) of researchers affiliated with the Lab, including postdoctoral researchers.

● Ensuring that existing research projects attached to the Lab met all responsibilities and deadlines agreed with funders, research partners, etc. These may include delivery of outputs, managing work packages, financial reporting.

● Developing and managing external relationships and partnerships, including with cultural institutions, academic partners, industry, and public-sector organisations.

● Leading the Lab research funding strategy, including the preparation and submission of regular external funding applications.

● Enhancing the research profile, visibility, and reputation of the Lab through research communication and dissemination activities, including conferences, exhibitions, publications, and public-facing events.

● Managing research budgets relating to Lab activities according to College’s policies concerning procurement, etc.