The department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) is currently hiring for the following positions:
Assistant to the Chair
About this Opportunity
The Assistant to the Chair (ATC) reports directly to the department Chair and has delegated authority to perform professional level programmatic or administrative functions. The ATC independently makes decisions or recommendations regarding assigned administrative or programmatic functions. The ATC provides executive support to the Chair on matters such as calendar management, event planning, communications, departmental policy development, and leading special projects. The employee regularly exercises independent judgment and discretion in work directly related to academic personnel practices such as faculty appointment and promotion, and merit and peer reviews.
This position requires exceptional organizational, project management, problem-solving, and communication skills, along with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment. The role involves frequent and substantive interactions with a diverse range of stakeholders both within and outside the University community. Given the sensitive and confidential nature of many matters handled by this position, the ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, tact, and professionalism is essential. Success in this role requires a thorough understanding of University and College of Engineering (CoE) policies, procedures, and practices, as well as a strong working knowledge of HCDE's academic, research, and business operations. The ATC must be able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, navigate complex situations, and effectively support departmental objectives in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. A positive, solutions-focused approach and a genuine commitment to collaboration and customer service are critical to success in this role.
Reporting directly to the Chair, the ATC is the primary person responsible for coordinating all aspects of the department's academic human resources functions and related administrative duties. The ATC is expected to understand and keep up-to-date with multiple processes, policies and procedures as outlined by the UW Policy Directory, UW Faculty Code, Academic Human Resources, and the MyCoE website. In addition to coordinating academic personnel practices for ~20 core faculty, the ATC is responsible for overseeing the appointments of over 30 outside part-time lecturers each year.
View full job postingAssistant Professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering
Open date: June 16, 2026
Description
The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington is hiring an Assistant Professor to provide excellence in teaching and research programs in our dynamic, interdisciplinary intellectual community in Autumn 2027.
HCDE is a vibrant, welcoming, and engaged interdisciplinary community that incorporates a range of intellectual traditions. Successful candidates will join a dynamic faculty conducting research in the design and engineering of sociotechnical systems broadly defined. We offer BS, MS, and PhD degrees, as well as graduate certificates in User-Centered Design and Human-Centered AI. We also are a founding contributor to three interdisciplinary graduate degrees. Candidates will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and will supervise doctoral students. The yearly teaching load is three courses (one per quarter) plus supervision of for-credit directed research groups. Teaching opportunities will be based on our current course offerings and the individual’s areas of scholarly expertise.
We invite candidates in all areas, but especially encourage applicants aligned with one or more developing areas within the department, including:
- Environment and sustainability: scholarship addressing sociotechnical relationships to land, water, air, environment, and questions of resiliency and the long-term consequences of technical decisions for communities and ecosystems, in the design of technologies, including approaches that investigate technical capabilities for sensing, monitoring, experimentation, and action within communities.
- Civic infrastructure and society: scholarship on how people live, move, and coordinate within the built environment or digital infrastructure–whether in urban or rural settings –including work on civic and public interest technology, food and water, mobility, planning, and the design, analysis, or engineering of systems that support or hinder thriving communities.
- Labor and the future of work: scholarship addressing how automation, AI, and digital technologies reshape the conditions and experiences of work–across organizational and enterprise systems, manufacturing and supply chains, and gig and platform economies–including attention to care and invisible labor, worker organizing, and the design of technologies and governance frameworks that center human agency, dignity, and pro-worker futures.
More information about our department research areas can be found here.
Successful candidates are expected to develop substantial programs of research including peer-reviewed publications and external funding.
All UW faculty engage in teaching, research and service. Faculty members also routinely collaborate with colleagues across campus and with affiliates from the region’s noted tech industry. Seattle is a culturally diverse urban center with growing racial, ethnic and immigrant communities. It is also home to many prominent technology companies, along with a robust startup and global health community.
UW faculty enjoy outstanding benefits. The base salary range for this position will be $12,500-15,500 per month, commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. This is a tenure track, full-time appointment with 9-month service period. Appointment is expected to begin in Autumn 2027.
We seek applicants who demonstrate commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service in a diverse and inclusive academic community. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity, and justice for all.
Qualifications
Candidates should show evidence of strong promise in teaching as well as scholarship. Applicants for this Assistant Professor (tenure-track) position should be recent or soon to graduate PhDs and must have earned a doctorate (or foreign equivalent) in a relevant field by the date of appointment.
Application instructions
Priority will be given to applications received by November 1, 2026. Applications will only be accepted via Interfolio, link below. The position will remain open until filled.
Applications should include the following materials:
- A letter of application detailing your interest in the position, relevant qualifications, experiences,
- A current curriculum vitae,
- A statement of research,
- A statement of teaching goals,
- Up to three representative papers or other scholarly works (e.g., book chapters), and
- Contact information for at least three people from whom we may request letters of recommendation.
Applicants should articulate how their past experiences and/or future plans in research, teaching, mentoring, patient care, and/or service promote a sense of belonging and foster a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Inquiries: Contact Stacia Green at greens6@uw.edu.
Apply via Interfoilo