"Assistant Professor, Department of Design"

The Opportunity
The Department of Design in the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications invites applications for an entry-level, full-time, tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, commencing July 1, 2026, subject to final budgetary approval.

The Department of Design has been graduating well-respected designers for 50 years. We are the largest Bachelor of Design program in Alberta, with more than 380 students, 45 faculty, and 55 unique design courses and the only user experience design major between Vancouver and Toronto. This degree is unique in Canada, envisioning design as not just an applied art but also an applied social science. This human-centered approach will allow students to better understand the audience/users they are designing for, and to more effectively evaluate their design outcomes. The degree currently has six main pathways – Visual Communication Design; Digital Experience Design; Marketing; Photography; Illustration; Video, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics.

The Department of Design at MacEwan University prepares students to become the creative design leaders of tomorrow. Students are immersed in the knowledge, processes, methods and skills of the discipline: the ability to research and identify problems and provide communication solutions within a given commercial, social and environmental context; use tools of the field to give form to their concepts while recognizing the cultural significance and meaning of them; communicate and defend solutions to team members and stakeholders; organize and manage design projects and client relations.

You will:

• Instruct students in information design courses
• Provide learning activities that stimulate student involvement and encourage critical thinking and discussion.
• Provide concrete, constructive, respectful, and actionable feedback to students.
• Provide students with ways to connect information design skills and concepts to the wider visual communication design practice.
• Maintain competencies in the subject area and currency in instructional methodologies through professional associations and professional development.
• Maintain active research and/or creative practice.
• Participate in curriculum development and implementation and provide pedagogical leadership in your area of expertise.
• In consultation with the Department of Design, create and maintain a pedagogical vision for information design courses in the Department.
• Serve on university-wide, faculty, and departmental committees as needed.
• Foster interdisciplinary approaches and establish ties with other departments including but not limited to: Studio Arts, Communications Studies, Computing Science, Mathematics & Statistics.

Qualifications
You must have, or be close to completion of, a terminal degree in Design or a related field and will demonstrate a primary commitment to undergraduate teaching and an ongoing research program.

You will submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching dossier (including recent teaching evaluations), and the following:

• Have teaching experience at the post-secondary level and industry experience.
• The ability to teach a variety of design subjects at multiple levels in the curriculum, from introductory to senior studio courses.
• Preference will be given to candidates with expertise or industry experience in interactive data visualization.
• The candidate must demonstrate excellence or a clear promise of excellence in research which includes one or a combination of the following: creative practice; publishing or other disciplinary modes of knowledge mobilization; institutional, cross-institutional, and/or community collaborations.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the Department Chair to provide three (3) letters of reference sent directly from referees. Only selected candidates will be required to submit official transcripts sent directly from the institutions where you completed your degrees. Questions about this opportunity may be addressed to Robert Andruchow, Chair of the Department of Design via email at andruchowr@macewan.ca.

How to Apply
To apply, please head to our MacEwan University Opportunities Page, select the job opportunity and click Apply Now. If you require assistance, please contact us at careers@macewan.ca.

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This position is included under the Faculty Association Collective Agreement.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Closing Date: A review of applications will begin January 10, 2026, and continue until a suitable candidate is found.

Competition Number: 25.10.300

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. New hires will normally be placed within the first 8 steps of the Assistant Professor salary table.