Assistant professor in Technology Regulation

We are looking for an enthusiastic scholar with an interest in developing research projects and a teaching portfolio at the intersection of digital technologies and energy regulation. Various digital technologies are reshaping the organisation and operation of energy systems, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the internet-of-things. Candidates should have either expertise in energy law and an interest in investigating the impact of new digital technologies or a specialization in the regulation of digital technologies and demonstrate the ability and interest in developing innovative and engaging research and teaching in the field of energy law and policy. The successful candidate will join a vibrant and diverse interdisciplinary department, committed to academic excellence with policy impact, through world-class, innovative research and teaching at the intersection of law and technology.

Your position
You are an enthusiastic and ambitious scholar, willing to contribute to the development of Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society (TILT)’s research and teaching in the field of energy law and policy. You already have demonstrated a promising academic potential in the field and are looking to develop further your research ideas and teaching plans in a stimulating, interdisciplinary, and innovative academic environment. You are expected to contribute to existing research projects as well as develop and eventually lead competitive applications to obtain external funding for related research projects. This will often be done in collaboration with colleagues at the TILT, the Academic Collaborative Center for Climate and Energy, and Tilburg University more generally.

In line with our team-science approach, you will work closely with scholars from different legal domains and non-legal disciplines, contributing to integrated projects across law, technology, and society. The research of the candidate will be linked to TILT’s research program, Regulating Socio-Technical Change. This is a forward-looking research program that is driving TILT’s research agenda and policy contributions at the intersection of law, regulation, and technology.

TILT offers a Master’s Program in Law & Technology and contributes to several other postgraduate and undergraduate programs in the Law School. You will contribute to teaching and supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s theses. Candidates may also be asked to assist in the supervision of PhD projects. You will also contribute to professional education in your fields of expertise. The intended ratio between teaching and research is roughly 40-50%, with the remaining 10% for academic leadership tasks.

Working at TILT
Working at TILT means being part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary, fast-paced, international, collaborative and inclusive academic environment. You actively participate in department meetings, reading groups, thematic workshops, and other departmental activities. In close collaboration with the rest of the staff, you will also take the lead in preparing such activities and events. At TILT, we value physical presence, active engagement, inclusive mindset and respectful collegial behaviour. We expect you to be in the office three days a week to ensureroom for brainstorming, serendipity, and team spirit.

You will strengthen the Institute’s expertise in energy law and policy, notably the regulation of technology in energy systems. You will contribute to TILT’s ambition to inform policy choices in the field through fundamental and applied research as well as innovative and engaging teaching. We value initiative, leadership, a collaborative mindset, as well as a willingness to engage with societal stakeholders, policymakers, and industry. You are open to feedback and committed to professional development. You actively contribute to a safe, inclusive, and stimulating learning environment.

You have:

• A PhD in Law, or in a social science field pertinent to the position (candidates who expect to be awarded the PhD should indicate a submission/defense date);
• An excellent (early career) track record in publishing research findings;
• Demonstrable experience in grant applications and project experience is considered an asset;
• Good teaching skills and willingness to develop an ambitious teaching portfolio at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and professional levels;
• The willingness to contribute to policy-related academic work through the organization of policy events, drafting of technical reports or organization of professional training programs;
• A University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) or the willingness to acquire a UTQ within the first year of employment, which is a requirement for all teaching staff of Tilburg University;
•  An excellent command of written and spoken English (C2), and a willingness to learn Dutch. Current proficiency in Dutch is considered an asset;
• Willingness to contribute to departmental and faculty roles and committees.

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 €4.728,00 and €6.433,00 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Assistant Professor 2, salary scale 11). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 1 CLA DU. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 12 for internal and max. 18 months for external candidates. If, in the opinion of the employer, you perform well and the financial situation of the department allows it, there is continuation in the same position and equal organizational conditions, you will be given a permanent 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.
• 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.

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 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?

Want to know more?

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Giorgio Monti at G.Monti@tilburguniversity.edu.