Design Lead - Research & Innovation (m/w/d)

Design Lead - Research & Innovation (m/w/d)

29.06.2026, Academic staff

To complement our dynamic team and support the design-led realization of our research agenda, we are looking for a person with a strong design sensibility, expressive visual and formal design competence, and a genuine interest in academic research. Central to this role is the connection between technological innovation and societal responsibility.

The position offers a unique opportunity to bring design practice into transdisciplinary research projects. Responsibilities include contributing to research projects through prototyping and visualization, teaching design methods, and accompanying projects through a research lens with the aim of generating new knowledge. The position is initially limited to 2 years.
About Us

The Munich Design Institute (MDI) is an integrative research institute at the Technical University of Munich, where pressing questions of our time are explored through design, science, and design science. We combine rigorous scientific research with creative imagination - and believe that precisely this combination is the key to addressing complex societal challenges.

The institute is led by Prof. Annette Diefenthaler, who holds the Chair of Design and Transdisciplinarity and brings 20 years of international experience in design and design research in practice.

The MDI connects researchers from design, engineering, and the social sciences with partners from industry, civil society, and politics - developing formats, methods, and projects that enable the creation of future-ready solutions.

As a globally leading university, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) provides an ideal environment for this: TUM stands for excellence in research and teaching, interdisciplinary education for more than 50,000 students from around the world, and the active support of promising early-career researchers. Close ties to companies and startups of all sizes based in the region, as well as to institutions in academia and practice worldwide, create a dynamic field of impact.

Responsibilities

Design Practice and Research

• Experience Prototyping & Materialization: Development of physical, digital, and hybrid prototypes within diverse research projects (e.g. robotics in care, food sciences, etc.) with the aim of representing and negotiating complex scenarios.
• Research through Design: Application of design processes and methods in transdisciplinary projects to generate new knowledge.
• Society-Centered Research & Innovation: Critical engagement with and contextualization of research and technology development processes within society, from a design perspective.
• Methods Development: Identification, adaptation, and documentation of design methods that prove particularly effective in research contexts.

Research Funding & Project Development

• Contributing to the conception and development of research projects and funding proposals for third-party funded projects (deepening the research dimension of the role, e.g. through a postdoctoral phase, is expressly encouraged).
• Contributing to the development of collaborations with academic, industry, and societal partners.

Teaching & Knowledge Transfer

• Designing and teaching courses and formats in the areas of Design and Design Research for students and doctoral candidates from other disciplines at TUM.
• Contributing to the visibility and public presence of the MDI through publications, talks, and events.

Requirements

Required

• Design Practice & Methods: Solid background in industrial or product design, design engineering, experience design, or related design disciplines; confident command of iterative and form-giving design processes.
• Design Research, Experience Prototyping and Storytelling: Ability to make implicit knowledge accessible through artifacts, prototypes, and visual narratives.
• Transdisciplinary Collaboration: Experience working with non-design disciplines, researchers, and institutional stakeholders.
• Project Management: Experience in independently conceiving, coordinating, and delivering design projects.
• Communication: Excellent written and spoken German and English.

Beneficial

• Experience applying design as a research method; ideally a doctoral degree in Design, Design Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with funding applications for research grants (DFG, EU, BMBF, or equivalent).
• Interest in the societal dimensions of technology development and innovation.
• Experience with teaching and workshop formats in university or transdisciplinary contexts.
• Team spirit and collaborative disposition, with genuine enjoyment of working collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.
• Creative problem-solving skills and ability to navigate uncertainty in a dynamic environment while keeping track of a wide range of priorities.

Qualifications

A completed master's degree in Design, Industrial Design, Design Engineering, Interaction Design, or another design discipline. Candidates from adjacent fields who can demonstrate a solid design practice and methodological foundation are expressly invited to apply.

What We Offer

• A position at one of the most renowned universities in Europe. The position is initially limited to two years, with extension possible and desired. The role can be arranged at between 75% and 100%.
• A dynamic and inspiring work environment in a results-driven team.
• The unique opportunity to play a significant role in shaping a growing institute, while benefiting from the structures of an established institution.
• A commitment to creating an environment in which all members of our team and those we work with feel a sense of belonging, regardless of national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, physical abilities or characteristics, religion, or political conviction.
• The opportunity to collaborate with researchers at a leading technical university and with an extensive network of partners from industry, academia, and the public sector.
• An exceptionally strong professional development programme and a growing community of practice to support career development.
• Remuneration is governed by the collective agreement for public service employees of the German federal states (TV-L/E13).
• The primary place of work is in Garching, at the MDI site.

Application Deadline: 30 July 2026

Please send your complete application documents as a single PDF file to [email protected] with the subject line Design Lead Research & Innovation, including the following components:

• Cover letter (max. 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages)
• Portfolio with at least 4 relevant work samples
• Names of 1-2 references with a brief description

Please name your PDF file as follows: Lastname-Firstname-Application-DesignLead.

In your cover letter, please address the following questions:

• What experience have you gained working with non-design disciplines, and how have you introduced and communicated design perspectives in those contexts?
• How have you applied design as a research method in a project - and what insights did this generate that would not have been possible through other means?

Please note that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries prior to the application deadline.

Munich Design Institute
Technical University of Munich
Walther-Von-Dyck-Str. 14
85748 Garching

Executive Director: Prof. Annette Diefenthaler
Managing Director: Tobias Mihr

[email protected]
www.mdi.tum.de

The TUM is committed to increasing the proportion of women in its workforce and expressly encourages qualified women to apply.

The position is suitable for disabled persons. Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude and professional performance.

Data Protection Information:
When you apply for a position with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to personal information, please take note of the Datenschutzhinweise gemäß Art. 13 Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zur Erhebung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihrer Bewerbung. (data protection information on collecting and processing personal data contained in your application in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.

Kontakt: Prof. Annette Diefenthaler [email protected]