EngD in Human-AI Interaction for Sign Language Translation Eindhoven University of Technology in Netherlands

EngD in Human-AI Interaction for Sign Language Translation at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

The Department of Industrial Design at TU/e is recruiting an EngD candidate for the multidisciplinary SignEngine project, which aims to develop a real-time AI-driven translation engine between Dutch Sign Language (Nederlandse Gebarentaal, NGT) and spoken/written Dutch. The project brings together AI developers, accessibility experts, linguists, and members of the Deaf community to design communication technology that is natural, trustworthy, and accessible across language modalities.

This is a two-year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) traineeship focused on the human side of the system. Rather than a traditional PhD, the role emphasizes designing, building, and validating a real-world solution in collaboration with project partners. The selected candidate will lead the user-centered design, prototyping, evaluation, and validation of sign language translation interfaces, working closely with a second EngD who develops the underlying translation engine and with a postdoc researcher.

The research and design challenge addresses a real digital divide: many digital services are still optimized for text and speech, while NGT is a rich visual language involving hand shapes, facial expressions, body posture, and spatial grammar. The project therefore prioritizes active co-creation with Deaf and hard-of-hearing users to ensure that the resulting technology is culturally appropriate, usable, safe, and understandable in practice.

Responsibilities include conducting user research and co-creation sessions, designing functional interaction concepts, evaluating comprehensibility and reliability from a user perspective, translating feedback into system requirements and design recommendations, and safeguarding the academic rigor of the prototype evaluation. The role is highly interdisciplinary and includes collaboration with consortium partners such as BrainBite, Digitaal Toegankelijk, and TYD.

Applicants should hold a relevant Master’s degree and show a strong interest in user-centered design, human-AI interaction, or inclusive technology. Experience with prototyping digital or AI-based services and conducting user evaluations is desirable. A collaborative, structured working style is important. English proficiency at C1 level is required, and Dutch language skills are valued. Prior knowledge of NGT or experience with the Deaf community is beneficial but not essential; Deaf community members with relevant expertise are explicitly encouraged to apply.

The position is fully funded as full-time employment for two years on salary scale TOIO (€3,173 gross per month), with additional holiday allowance, year-end bonus, pension contributions, training opportunities, and other TU/e employment benefits. TU/e is located in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, on a green campus in the Brainport region with strong ties to high-tech industry and research.

The application deadline is 2026-09-27. Applications must be submitted online through the official vacancy portal and should include a cover letter, CV, diplomas/transcripts, English test results, and three references.