PhD candidate in Criminal Law on the increased use of corporate criminal liability

The struggle of national legal systems to bring major multinational corporations to justice for serious human rights violations is longstanding. Such corporations operate across borders and through diffuse and complex decision-making structures that frustrate the attribution of criminal responsibility on a national level. Many states do not recognise corporate criminal liability, or apply it inconsistently, and large-scale, multinational corporate crime routinely exceeds the capacity of domestic jurisdictions. This project proceeds from the observation that International Criminal Law (ICL) could provide a solution to this deadlock but that it needs to draw on transnational criminal law and other legal regimes that have developed corporate liability (EU law) to develop a dedicated corporate liability regime. Contrary to previous (PhD) research into corporate criminal liability and ICL, this project will focus on criminological research, transnational criminal law and comparative criminal law to improve ICL’s liability architecture.

This PhD position offers the opportunity to explore important questions at the intersection of international criminal law, transnational criminal law, and comparative criminal law. You will contribute to shaping legal and policy responses to corporate crime while engaging with key issues of justice, accountability, and vulnerability. It offers the opportunity to join a dynamic research team at TLS. You will become part of the Department of Criminal Law at TLS, contributing to the educational program of TLS.where you'll conduct impactful research, gain interdisciplinary insights, and help advance International Criminal Law as a discipline.

The candidate will be dedicating 80% of their time to research and 20% to teaching.

Your position

The proposed PhD project focuses on analysing how International Criminal Law can be used as a legal instrument to increase corporate criminal liability. This can be achieved through a close examination of ICL, transnational criminal law, and how the two might intersect to allow for new, innovative pathways for enforcing accountability against corporations engaged in criminal activity across borders.

As a PhD researcher, you will:

• Conduct independent academic research on the application of ICL to corporate crime, contributing to the scholarly understanding of this complex and evolving issue.
• Employ vulnerability theory to help shape our understanding of corporate crime.
• Develop a legal framework for addressing corporate crime through ICL.
• Engage in interdisciplinary research, incorporating perspectives from ICL, transnational criminal law, comparative criminal law, and criminology.
• Contribute to ongoing policy debates about the application of ICL to corporate crime.

Your daily work will involve a combination of legal doctrinal research, theoretical and/or empirical analysis, and comparative law. The PhD thesis is expected to be written in English, enabling it to contribute to international academic discussions on the application of ICL to corporate crime.

In the longer term, this project aims to develop practical and theoretical contributions to the evolving discussions on how ICL can be used to help bring corporate actors to justice for their involvement in serious human rights violations. Your research will contribute to the academic and societal debate and may inspire meaningful legal and policy reforms.

You will be part of the department of criminal law at TLS, collaborating with a dynamic research team and contributing to the department’s educational programs and its Research Program ‘Crime, Criminal Justice and Vulnerability Theory’.

Tilburg University is curious about how you can contribute to our research, education, impact, and the team you will be part of. Below, we outline the qualifications we consider important for this position.

We are looking for candidates who:

• Hold a relevant master’s degree in law or criminology, preferably with a focus on criminal law, or a related field, completed with excellent grades. As a current master student, you are welcome to apply as long as you will complete your master program before 1 September 2026.
• Have a high proficiency (CEFR C2) in English, enabling effective communication and documentation proficiency (C1 or higher) in a second language being a strong plus.
• Show explicit interest in and motivation for conducting innovative academic research in the field of criminal law and vulnerability theory.
• Prove capacity to conduct research through evidence of participation in academic research projects.
• Possess strong analytical, writing, and communication skills, demonstrated through previous academic work or professional experience.
• Have solid experience in teaching or a strong interest in developing teaching skills, as the position also involves contributing to the educational programs of the department.
• Other academic experience, such as participating in project proposals, or being engaged in academic editing would also be regarded positively.
• Are able to contribute to an open, inclusive, and supportive organizational culture.

To maintain a vibrant university community, all staff members are expected to carry out their work in the Netherlands, and teaching is conducted in person.

International PhD candidates with scholarships below the applicable IND income standard (currently €2,191.80 per month excluding vacation pay) are unfortunately not eligible for this vacancy.

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• A position based on 1.0 fte (40 hours per week).
• A salary of minimum €3,059 and maximum €3,881 gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile PhD student and salary scale P. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a PhD in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 8 sub b CLA DU. You will initially be given a temporary contract for the duration of 18 months to assess your suitability. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract.
• 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.
• An Options Model in which you exchange benefits for things such as additional leave, more pension, a bicycle or personal training at our Sports Center.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for the 30/20/10% scheme.
• A pension with ABP; the most sustainable Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research or a language course at our Language Center.
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities.
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

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

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 labour market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

About Tilburg Law School

Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe.  Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society. Tilburg Law School is organized into five Departments: Public Law and Governance; Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, Markets and Society; Private, Business and Labour Law; the Fiscal Institute Tilburg; and Criminal Law. The mission of the School is to understand and improve the role of law and public administration in addressing the social problems of today and tomorrow. Through research and education, our scholars contribute to that mission.

More than 4,000 students pursue a Bachelor's, pre-Master's or Master's degree at Tilburg Law School. Through this education, we train students in law, public administration, and data science. The Tilburg Educational Profile (TEP) is unique in the Netherlands. Central to it are three core concepts: knowledge, skills, and character. A university education provides students with the latest substantive knowledge and trains them to be critical thinkers and resilient professionals. In addition, the School is committed to innovative educational concepts and, partly in response to the coronavirus crisis, has invested heavily in the quality of online education and in innovative didactic tools to make and keep students inquisitive.

Tilburg Law School's research is highly regarded nationally and internationally. The Tilburg Law School Departments work closely together in their research in four signature research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) Law and Security; 3) Connecting Responsible Organizations; and 4) Regulating Socio-Technical Change.

About the Department of Criminal Law

The Department of Criminal Law has a multidisciplinary composition in which both criminal (procedural) law and social science approaches to crime and victimization have a place, and it provides education and research in the field of criminal law, criminology, victimology, and forensic psychiatry. Currently, the Department has about 40 permanent staff members. Particular value is placed on collaboration, both within the Department and with colleagues within Tilburg Law School and other Schools. The Department has an informal culture, where equality and providing an inspiring and safe working environment are paramount. Providing excellent education and conducting challenging research are seen as two main tasks that can only be accomplished together.

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Dr. Thomas Joyce at t.p.joyce@tilburguniversity.edu  

We kindly invite you to apply before 27 February 2026; this can only be done online.

Please address your cover letter to Inge Graef and attach your resume, your masters’ diploma, your master’s thesis and the filled in TIRO application form (which can be found here). We look forward to your response.