Associate Professor of International Law

Introduction to the position
Tilburg Law School is looking to hire a dynamic associate professor in international law with a strong research and teaching portfolio and a clear vision for academic leadership, beginning in January 2026 in the department of Public Law and Governance (PLG),  a large, diverse, interdisciplinary department home to nearly 130 academic staff and a range of legal and social science disciplines.  The associate professor will be part of a collegial and forward-thinking environment of scholars dedicated to critically exploring the public dimensions of law and governance across local, national, and international contexts. You will be a key figure in this vibrant academic community committed to excellence, innovation, and impact.

Your position

You are inspiring and creative in research and teaching, show initiative, and are willing, with others, to lead the department. We are particularly interested in candidates who transcend disciplinary boundaries and connect legal scholarship with pressing societal issues. The primary focus of the research will be conducted in the context of the multidisciplinary Research Program Global Law and Governance, which aims to reflect on the public nature of law and governance at local, national, and international levels. You are expected to play an enthusiastic and guiding role in teaching in various programs in both the undergraduate and graduate phases, such as the BA Global Law,  the LL.M. in International and European Law, or the Liberal Arts and Science Program. You  will actively participate from the start in the management team of the department, including the ambition to take up the role of line manager. The intended ratio between teaching and research is roughly 40%-40%, with the remaining 20% for academic citizenship.

Your profile 

We are curious about how you can contribute to our research, education, impact, and to the team you will be part of. Therefore, we would like to get the best possible picture of your knowledge, insight, skills, and personality. 
Below, you can find the qualifications that we consider important for the position.

• Demonstrated excellence in (coordinating and developing) teaching,
• An excellent track record in research, as evidenced by high-quality (international) publications
• Proven success (or clear potential) in securing external research funding.
• Experience or affinity with working in a multidisciplinary collaborative environment.  
• Experience or clear vision in connecting legal scholarship with pressing societal issues
•  Excellent communication, demonstrated (team) leadership, and collegial team-oriented  skills or potential, contributing to an open and inclusive work environment.
• High proficiency in English (minimum C2);  Dutch (C2) or the willingness to actively invest in learning Dutch as of the start of employment.
• A University Teaching Qualification (UTQ; in Dutch: BKO) or equivalent proof of didactical competence in academic education. 

To maintain a vibrant and active university community, it is important that we meet each other regularly and that the connection between us remains good. Therefore, the premise is that all staff members carry out their work in the Netherlands and that lecturing is done physically.

Our offer 
Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment: 

• Employment of 0,8-1,0 fte (32-40 hours per week).
• Salary between €6.283 and €7.651 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Associate professor 2, salary scale 13). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy in the category of Academic staff (AS) for a position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 1 CLA DU. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration 12-18 months. If, in the opinion of the employer, you perform well, there is continuation in the same position and equal financial and organizational conditions, you will be given a permanent contract after this.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• 30% rule for international employees (if applicable).
• Pension through ABP.
• Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

For more information, please see our website and the CLA Dutch Universities. 

About Tilburg University 
Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.

We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

 
About Tilburg Law School
Tilburg Law School was founded in 1963 and has since grown into a leading faculty for law and public administration. Our education and research are distinctly innovative and interdisciplinary. We are driven by our mission to actively engage with pressing societal challenges such as new technologies, sustainability, and the position of vulnerable groups in the rule of law, from the perspective of law and public governance. We operate in response to local, regional, national, and international developments, and collaborate closely with other disciplines such as economics, behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, history, and digital sciences. The faculty is organized into five departments: Public Law & Governance, Private, Business and Labour Law, Criminal Law, the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, and Tax Law.

Our education
Tilburg Law School offers bachelor's programs in  Law, Tax Law, Business Law and the English-taught Global Law program. We offer  nine legal master's programs, five of which are offered in hybrid formats and six are taught in English. The faculty also offers both a bachelor's and a master's program in Public Governance. One of the focal points in our education is vulnerability in a legal, social and governance perspective. Through this, we aim to contribute to a just and sustainable society. Tilburg Law School is a frontrunner in educational innovation and values inclusive, accessible, and flexible education. We train our students to become knowledgeable, skilled, and critical academics who are equipped to navigate the complex challenges of the evolving (digital) society.

Our research
The five departments of Tilburg Law School closely collaborate in four distinctive research programs focusing on globalization and law, regulation of technology, vulnerability in criminal law, and sustainable private law relations. These research programs include both legal and public governance scholarships, as well as interdisciplinary approaches.
We strongly emphasize team science, encouraging researchers to work together, share knowledge, and strengthen one another in content and methodology.

Global Law and Governance

This research program addresses major societal challenges such as climate change, globalization, growing inequality, the increasing influence of social media, and migration. These developments call for a re-examination of issues such as the role of human rights, democratic principles and structures, and the regulation of non-state actors.

About the Department of Public Law and Governance 
The Department of Public Law and Governance is a highly international and dynamic department that brings together researchers in various fields, including International Law, European law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Public Administration, Legal Philosophy, Political Science, Legal History and Jurisprudence. Research in the department is concentrated within the theme Global Law and Governance, which hosts and facilitates projects in the area of law and governance. The research takes as its starting point societal challenges, further globalization and increasing inequalities, the growing importance of social media, and migration. These problems are developed based on four broad themes:  

• Globalization: In- and Exclusion
• Law and Governance in the Anthropocene
• Globalization: In- and ExclusionLaw and Governance in the AnthropoceneInnovation and Trust in the Democratic Rule of LawUrban Constitutionalism and Governance 
• Urban Constitutionalism and Governance 

Want to know more? 
Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Prof. Dr. Nikolas Rajkovic  (Chair of International Law) at N.M.Rajkovic@tilburguniversity.edu