Postdoc in textiles design for sustainability and circular systems at Kolding School of Design (maternity cover)

Kolding School of Design is looking for a Postdoc for a one-year maternity cover within textile design for sustainability and circular systems.

We hereby look for applicants to fill a one-year full-time postdoc position within the field of textile design for sustainability and circular systems that can be applied to areas such as fashion and industrial design. The postdoc will predominantly be involved activities related to the two research projects, DeCouple (2023-2025) and UnBlend (2025-2027), both funded by the Trace partnership. For more information about the projects and the partnership, see https://trace.dk/.

About the projects
The DeCouple project aims to decouple resource consumption and growth in the textile industry. To achieve this, the project is paving the way by using product data to extend the lifespan of textiles in the laundry industry. The project focuses on exploring the barriers of circular workwear across reuse, remanufacture and recycling.

The Unblend project aims to transition the textile industry, with a focus on performance textiles (upholstery and carpets), to a circular economy. It takes a holistic approach by addressing prevention (design for longevity), reuse (repurposing post-industrial textile waste into new products), and recycling (fibre-to-fibre recycling through chemical/mechanical solutions).

The role
We are looking for a postdoc that would like to develop knowledge for circular textiles industries and systems. You will contribute to innovative research projects to support the transition to a more sustainable textiles, fashion and industrial design sector. The role will require collaborative and multidisciplinary working by applying design methods to support the circularity of resources and products within an industry context. The postdoc is expected to take part in DSKD’s activities, such as:

For DeCouple:

• Analyse workwear to develop ways to extend garment lifetimes

• Work with project partners to finalise solutions for textile longevity

• Continue multidisciplinary work of creating a tool to aid circular product development

For Unblend:

• Collaborate with carpets and upholstery industrial partners’ design team/customers to 1, explore the causes of disposal, 2. customer behaviour of care and extended use

• Establish the relevant recycling technologies and systems for carpets/ upholstery fabrics

• Explore what circular design guidance is required non-fashion applications

Your profile

• A PhD degree in a relevant topic or equivalent experience

• Proficiency in planning and conducting research projects

• Experience working independently

• Evidence of working with fashion, textiles and/or industrial design contexts

• Knowledge of textile recycling and circularity

• Experience with industry collaboration

• Outstanding oral and written English communication skills

• Experience teaching at bachelor’s and master’s level is advantageous

• Familiarity with Danish or other Nordic languages in oral and written language is desirable

Application
For the application to be considered, all points listed below must be addressed with all mentioned materials enclosed:

• Letter of motivation (1 page)

• CV (1 page)

• Diplomas or alternatively a complete transcript of records (for degrees on BA, MA and PhD level)

• Full list of publications

• Examples of publications (max. 3)

• PhD thesis

The application can be in either Danish or English.

Our school has a policy that states if we employ a person unfamiliar with the Danish language, that person is obliged to develop skills to communicate in Danish society within three years.

About Design for Planet - Laboratory for Sustainability and Design
Kolding School of Design has worked with sustainability in research, education and development projects for more than 20 years. We believe that a sustainable strategy must be part of the efforts to solve global problems with regard to resources, working conditions and pollution.

The research and development in sustainability at Kolding School of Design, the Laboratory for Sustainability and Design, aims to raise the level of sustainability in all sectors of society. Our goal is to contribute with new knowledge rooted in design processes that will tie together more closely the production and consumption, thus reducing the waste of resources.

In September 2018, Kolding School of Design launched the new MA programme, Design for Planet educating highly specialised designers with sustainability as a fundamental mindset. The program encourages the students to engage design to promote sustainable cultures of consumption and production through products and services that are valuable and meaningful to users, along with new business developments within, for instance, circular economy and sharing economy.

Terms of employment
The position is a full-time maternity cover and is limited to one year.

The successful applicant will be employed under the applicable collective agreement with the Ministry of Finance, the position structure for artistic and scientific staff at Kolding School of Design and the organization entitled to negotiate.

Application process and deadline
Please apply through Kolding School of Design’s online recruitment system. The application must be written in Danish or English.

The application deadline is May 1, 2025, at 23.59 CEST.

The position is to be filled by August 1, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Interviews are expected to take place in May shortly after completion of the assessments.

Additional information
For further information, please contact secretary of research and development Christina Stind Rosendahl, phone 45 91 33 30 04 or mail: csr@dskd.dk, or Associate Professor Karen Marie Hasling, mail: kmh@dskd.dk.

We welcome both national and international applications. Kolding School of Design wishes to reflect its surrounding community and encourages anyone to apply for the position, irrespective of personal background.

For more information please read:
Design for Planet, Laboratory for Sustainability and Design website

Kolding School of Design Research Strategy

Kolding School of Design website

Department: Ågade 10 6000 Kolding

Location: Designskolen Kolding, Ågade 10, 6000 Kolding

Application deadline: 01 May 2025