Postdoctoral Researcher in Energy Law

Shape the Future of Energy Transition as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Law!
How can legal frameworks enable battery circularity, alleviate energy poverty, and create scalable, inclusive energy innovations? What regulatory, policy, and governance tools are needed to enable second- and third-life applications of EV batteries? How can the law support cooperation between local governments (municipalities and provinces), energy providers, housing corporations, and communities?

Are you passionate about energy law, sustainability, innovation, and regulatory challenges at the intersection of energy, waste, and housing? Then we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity!

Tilburg Law School has a vacancy for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Energy Law. The selected candidate will conduct research as part of the European Urban Initiative-funded batteREstore project in collaboration with researchers at the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT). The researcher will also be part of a university-wide network of researchers within the Academic Collaborative Center (ACC) for Climate & Energy (Academische Werkplaats Klimaat en Energie) and collaborate with researchers from different schools and disciplines. Within this Center, researchers also work closely with partners from the field of practice on sustainability, climate change, and energy transition-related challenges.

Your Position
The evolving European and Dutch energy regulatory landscape demands a reassessment of legal frameworks. The energy and battery storage market is fundamentally transforming with legislative instruments including Energiewet, Wet collectieve warmte, and EU Green Deal instruments.

Tilburg University seeks a postdoctoral researcher to support the batteREstore project by examining legal, regulatory, and governance challenges surrounding repurposing EV batteries, neighbourhood-scale energy storage, community energy models, and data management.

The role focuses on Dutch energy law, frameworks for circular economy, localised energy governance, renewable energy and data-driven markets. The researcher will analyse legal challenges in decentralised systems and explore frameworks for collaborative, neighbourhood-scale energy solutions.

The successful candidate will:

• Conduct independent and collaborative legal research in battery reuse, energy law, data privacy in digitalised energy markets, and sustainability, leading to peer-reviewed international publications and outputs such as industry memos or policy reports,
• Collaborate with municipal and societal partners to develop legal frameworks supporting second/third-life battery use and community-driven energy innovation,
• Contribute to the legal discourse on energy, data governance, privacy, digital energy platforms, and regulatory innovations within academia and practice,
• Contribute to ongoing projects and collaborative initiatives,
• Closely collaborate with both fellow researchers and diverse societal partners and external stakeholders, bridging the gap between academia and practice,
• Proactively seek funding opportunities at Dutch and EU levels, coordinating grant applications and research projects for government bodies and other institutions,
• Be an active member of the TILT and ACC communities, participating in and organising events, workshops, and conferences, and presenting research findings at national and international forums, and
• Engage in limited educational tasks (0.1 - 0.2 FTE), including contributing to the teaching of energy law in the LLM in Law and Technology, supervising and grading theses and assisting in LLB/LLM courses or executive training programs.

We recognise that no candidate will meet every requirement, and we do not want lists of requirements to discourage talented applicants. If you’re excited about this position but don’t tick every box, we encourage you to still apply! In your application, share your qualifications and passions.

For this position, we are seeking a motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher who has:

• A PhD in law, in a field related to the position, or at least having your PhD manuscript approved at the time of application (strict requirement). Your PhD research can focus on any aspect of energy law, competition law, international trade law, law relating to circular economy or battery storage, data regulation, or innovation law, among other relevant fields,
• A strong background and keen interest in sub-sectors of the Dutch energy law, regulatory governance, and/or digital transformation in energy markets,
• Given the close collaboration with Dutch and international partners, excellent command of Dutch and English (C1 – C2), demonstrated through publications and conference presentations,
• Experience in collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and bridging connections between researchers and practitioners, and the ability to switch from working with researchers to working with partners from practice,
• A commitment to Tilburg University’s vibrant research community on climate and energy and to fostering an inspiring work environment,
• A proactive, independent, and creative mindset with a vision for innovative research, and
• Availability to be present at Tilburg University at least two days per week, in accordance with the university’s hybrid working policy.

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 0.8 - 1.0 FTE (32 - 40 hours per week),
• Salary between € 4728 and € 6433 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO profile Researcher,salary scale 11). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience,
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%,
• Over eight weeks of vacation leave,
• Hybrid working options, with the opportunity to work partly on campus and partly from home with a home office allowance of €2 per day,
• Reimbursement for sustainable commuting, including walking, cycling, and public transport,
• A monthly internet allowance of €25,
• Flexible benefits, allowing employees to exchange benefits for things such as additional leave, more pension, a bicycle or personal training at our Sports Center through the Options Model,
• A relocation allowance (subject to applicable conditions),
• Eligibility for the 30% tax ruling, providing a tax-free allowance for extraterritorial expenses for foreign employees,
• Pension through ABP,
• Training opportunities, including personal and career development, leadership, education, research and language courses,
• Opportunities for professional development and research funding,
• Access to Tilburg University’s extensive network of interdisciplinary experts,
• Inclusive work culture; everyone welcome, equal opportunities, and
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. With nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainability, and inclusion for current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge to address societal needs, contributing to solutions for complex social challenges and driving positive change. We educate 19,500 students from 110 nationalities, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and character to become responsible leaders. Our education and research focus on broad prosperity, particularly mental and preventive care, an inclusive labour market, the energy transition, and digitalisation.

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 legal and administrative sciences. 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 & Society, and Tax Law. 

Our education 
Tilburg Law School offers bachelor's programs in Dutch Law, Tax Law, Business Law, and the English-taught Global Law program. Of the nine legal master's programs, five 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 Administration. Our education places particular emphasis on vulnerability and on those who are vulnerable in society. 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 collaborate closely 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 administration scholarship, 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. 

Regulating Socio-Technical Change 
This program brings together a broad range of legal and non-legal disciplines, perspectives, and methodologies to form a comprehensive understanding of socio-technical changes. It focuses on three core questions: What are the regulatory challenges? How should they be addressed? And who are—or should be—the actors involved?

Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT)
The Department Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Science (TILT) is a leading center for education and research on the impact of socio-technical change on regulation and governance. In an era where information technology drives innovation, TILT explores the intersection of law, technology, and society, making it one of Europe’s foremost research groups. Rooted in multidisciplinary inquiry, TILT seeks to understand how technology interacts with social and normative practices and how regulatory challenges emerging from socio-technical change can be effectively addressed.

Academic Collaborative Center for Climate and Energy
At Tilburg University, researchers and practice partners join forces to drive impactful climate action and energy transition. Through cutting-edge research and real-world solutions, they contribute to a socially just and sustainable future. Since early 2023, the university-wide Academic Collaborative Center (ACC) for Climate & Energy has been the hub for this collaboration. Bringing together over 40 academic researchers from various disciplines and 12 practice partners, ranging from government bodies to grid operators and consumer organisations, the ACC tackles critical challenges in market design and regulation, governance and participation, digitalisation and data-driven innovation, and communication and behaviour. By bridging science and practice, Tilburg University is shaping the future of sustainable energy with knowledge that makes a difference.