Full-time Tenured Associate Professor in User Experience Design

Faculty/Academic Area: Faculty of Liberal Arts 

Department: User Experience Design 

Campus: Brantford 

Employee Group: WLUFA 

Requisition ID: 10720 

Wilfrid Laurier University

Faculty of Liberal Arts

User Experience Design Program

The User Experience Design Program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Wilfrid Laurier University invites applications for a Tenured faculty position at the Associate Professor level beginning July 1, 2026, subject to budgetary approval.

Anticipated Salary Range:  $111,000 to $130,000.  Actual salary to be commensurate with education and experience.

The User Experience Design Program was launched in 2017 and is one of Canada's fastest-growing and most innovative design degree programs. Students in the undergraduate UX major take courses in Graphic Design, Web Design, Immersive Design, UX Research, UX Strategy, Interaction Design, Design Thinking, UI and Web Design, 3-D and Critical Making, Design Ethics, Designing for EDI, and Information Design. Students work with clients from industry, government, and community organizations to create user-centred solutions to complex business and societal challenges. Students may also participate in a 12-month co-op after their third year. The recently launched Master of Science in User Experience Design is unique within Ontario for its singular focus on UX, and it is structured to encourage practical, professional learning in the field. The User Experience Design Program is highly interdisciplinary, and faculty research in the program has been funded by NSERC, SSHRC, ORF, MITACS, and others.

The User Experience Design program at Wilfrid Laurier University is interdisciplinary in its focus. It provides an innovative approach to the design of experiences including services, products, digital applications, and spaces. The undergraduate and Master’s degree are offered at Laurier’s Brantford campus, which is integrated into the downtown core, and the minor in UX is offered to students at the Waterloo, Brantford, and Milton campuses.

To be considered, applicants must have completed, at minimum, a PhD or equivalent in a field related to User Experience Design, including but not limited to Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Information Science, Cognitive Psychology, Interaction Design, or Systems Design.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated record of interdisciplinary research excellence related to User Experience Design. Evidence of research excellence may be demonstrated by publications in top-ranked and field-relevant journals and conferences, as well as research grants and awards. The successful candidate will also demonstrate knowledge of and experience with emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, Internet of Things [IoT], and spatial computing).

The successful candidate will be expected to teach core courses across a range of subjects within User Experience Design. Areas of teaching focus include graphic design, interaction design, mobile app/web design, UX research, UX strategy, and/or information design. Responsibilities will include undergraduate and graduate teaching, development of course and laboratory exercises, supporting experiential learning opportunities, curriculum development, and supervising undergraduate and graduate research projects. Evidence of excellence in experiential teaching and pedagogical inquiry can be demonstrated through the teaching dossier submitted as part of the application. The teaching dossier should include a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations or other evidence of teaching excellence. 

The successful candidate will also be committed to engagement with the broader industry and/or community and contributing to the leadership and administration of the degree programs in User Experience Design. Preference will be given to candidates who also have a demonstrated record of academic leadership with experience in the development of new curricula and program innovation at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, as well as experience managing student projects with external clients.

The ideal candidate will preferably demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinarity, critical making and designing for equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

Applications will submit:

• A cover letter outlining their qualifications for the position and fit with the interdisciplinary User Experience Design program
• A curriculum vitae
• A teaching dossier as described above, including teaching evaluations or equivalent documents (e.g., letters of support from supervisors, colleagues, former students)
• A research dossier including a research statement that clearly describes the focus of their current work, a research plan that describes their future interests, and 1-2 sample publications
• Contact information (address, telephone, and email) for at least three academic or professional referees.

Application packages must be submitted by email to:

Dr. Geoff Spurr

Program Coordinator, User Experience Design

Wilfrid Laurier University

c/o Nicole Morgan, Academic Program Administrator (nmorgan@wlu.ca)

Include the Requisition ID Number in your email subject line

Applications will be accepted until Thursday April 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. If you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Nicole Morgan (nmorgan@wlu.ca).

The Faculty of Liberal Arts thanks all applicants for their interest. All applications shall be reviewed and considered under a set of criteria established by the Search Committee, and a short list of candidates shall be interviewed. Only those applicants selected for the short list will be contacted.

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Strategic Academic Plan prioritizes building capacity in Indigenous education and commits to the Indigenization of our campuses through Indigenous programming, which it seeks to expand under the leadership of Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. Laurier is committed to employment equity and values diversity. Laurier welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and/or a person of any sexual identities and gender identities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, per Canadian immigration laws, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obligated to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenships; however, all applicants must include one of the following statements in their cover letter:

Yes, I am a current citizen or permanent resident of Canada; or

No, I am not a current citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

Members of designated groups must self-identify, in confidence, to: (Dr. Tarah Brookfield, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts [tbrookfield@wlu.ca]). Further information on Laurier’s equity policy can be found at https://www.wlu.ca/about/governance/assets/resources/8.4-employment-equity.html

Applicants are encouraged to address any career interruptions or special circumstances that may have affected their record of research and teaching, in accordance with SSHRC and NSERC definitions and guidelines.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a CV and letter of introduction will be required in electronic form.