"PhD candidate for the project The Governance of Energy Hub Platforms"

Job Description

Are you interested in exploring how firms can collectively contribute to decentralized, sustainable energy systems? Are you curious about how digital platforms connect businesses with distributed energy resources to enable energy sharing, reduce grid congestion, and enhance sustainability? Are you motivated to investigate the governance arrangements that make these platforms work in practice and the factors influencing them? Are you eager to advance academic knowledge and make practical contributions to the energy transition? If so, this PhD position offers you the opportunity to investigate these questions as part of the SYNERGY project, a collaborative research project funded by NWO.

The SYNERGY project brings together a large consortium of researchers from multiple Dutch universities and knowledge institutes (Tilburg University, Eindhoven University of Technology, Utrecht University, University of Twente, Delft University of Technology, Avans University of Applied Sciences, TNO) and several societal partners (e.g., Province of Noord-Brabant, Tilburg Municipality, RVO, Enexis). Together, the consortium investigates the role of social dynamics in the energy transition.

Within the SYNERGY project, the PhD project will contribute to work package 2, “Decentralized energy systems and SMEs: governing energy hub platforms”. The transition to a decentralized, sustainable energy system depends on collective energy solutions involving groups of business end-users. One such solution is the energy hub, a smartly controlled, decentralized energy system established in a business park, where multiple companies coordinate the generation, storage, and consumption of renewable energy. To make this coordination possible, digital platforms play a crucial role. They connect the businesses within the hub to distributed energy resources, enabling energy sharing, reducing grid congestion, and enhancing sustainability.

The PhD project will focus on the governance models adopted for energy hub platforms. These include, for example, decision-making processes, coordination mechanisms, and the allocation of roles and risks among participating actors. The project consists of addressing the following main research questions:

• How do social dynamics internal to the energy hub influence the governance model adopted for the hub’s platform?
• How do local governments influence decisions regarding the governance of the energy hub platform?
• What is the impact of platform governance on the implementation of the energy hub?

The project’s partners will facilitate connections with energy hubs in Noord-Brabant and other regions in the Netherlands.

In this role, you will contribute to both academic knowledge and practical impact. Tasks for this PhD project include:

• reviewing existing literature to inform research questions and theoretical frameworks;
• executing data collection and analysis;
• writing three high-quality research papers fit for international scientific journals (as part of a paper-based doctoral thesis);
• co-developing decision-making tools based on your research to support stakeholders involved in energy hubs;
• co-organizing one or more workshops that bring together academics and practitioners to discuss your findings and develop practical tools;
• actively participating in academic conferences, consortium meetings, joint research activities and workshops;
• leading knowledge exchange activities with academic and societal partners;
• contributing to the activities of the university-wide Academic Collaborative Center for Climate and Energy at Tilburg University.

You will be supervised by Dr. Francesca Ciulli (Tilburg University), with co-supervision from Prof. Anna Wieczorek (Eindhoven University of Technology) and Dr. Christina Bidmon (Utrecht University).

As a PhD candidate, you will be embedded in the Department of Organization Studies at Tilburg University, where researchers examine the adaptiveness of organizations from a relational perspective, with sustainability and digitalization as key themes. In addition, you will be affiliated with the University-wide Academic Collaborative Center on Climate and Energy, which brings together researchers and societal partners to address challenges related to climate change and the energy transition. You will also regularly visit the co-supervisors’ institutions, i.e., Eindhoven University of Technology and Utrecht University.

You will have access to a wide network of academics, policymakers, and practitioners, and work in a supportive, inspiring, and collaborative research environment.

Requirements

For this position, we are looking for a researcher who:

• has completed or is about to complete a relevant MSc. degree in Organization Studies, Management, Business Administration, Public Governance, Data Science, Innovation Science, Transition Studies, or a related discipline;
• is interested in questions related to inter-organizational collaboration, coordination and governance;
• has excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and at least good verbal and written communication skills in Dutch. For this position, proficiency in English at level C2 and in Dutch at least at level B2 is required (Europese taalniveaus CEFR. (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2);
• has excellent qualitative research skills and data analytical abilities;
• is eager to learn from and collaborate with researchers and practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds;
• is proactive, can work independently, and brings creativity and vision to their work;
• has excellent project management and organization skills.

Knowledge in areas that are relevant to the PhD project (e.g., digitalization, energy transition, governance, inter-organizational collaboration) is an asset but not required.

Conditions of Employment

For this position we offer you:

• A position based on 1 FTE (40 hours per week).
• A salary of €3,059 gross per month in the first year, up to €3,881 gross per month in the fourth year for full-time employment, based on UFO job profile PhD Candidate and salary scale P. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant education and work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position following Article 2.3 paragraph 8 under b of the CLA DU. You will initially receive a temporary contract for 12 months to assess your suitability. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract of 36 months.
• 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 for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Budget for participation to academic conferences and trainings.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax-free allowance of 30% of their taxable wages, we apply for this compensation for you;
• A pension with ABP; the largest 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 vibrant campus in green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport.

Please visit working at Tilburg University for more information about our terms of employment.

Employer

Tilburg University

Tilburg University’s motto is 'Understanding Society'. Based on this vision, our more than 1,500 employees conduct research, inspire more than 19,000 students of 110 nationalities and bring people from different disciplines and organizations together to learn from each other. In this way we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. We work from social and behavioral sciences, economics, business sciences and entrepreneurship, law and public administration, humanities and digital sciences and theology. We seek the connection between the various disciplines in order to find solutions to the major issues we face as a society. Our students are trained to be responsible and entrepreneurial thinkers, driven by solidarity, a sense of responsibility and empathy, who are able to exert influence in an innovative way and give direction to a rapidly changing society. Tilburg University has a culture of collaboration and co-creation, on a local, regional, national and international level.

About Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Tilburg University is a specialized university with a high international reputation that strives to advance society by deepening the understanding of that society through research and education. Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers excellent, innovative education aimed at preparing students to become future leaders by focusing on knowledge, skills, and character building. The School offers a varied range of Bachelor and Master programs to its 3,000 students and is organized around the motto of "Understanding Society". The school’s intellectually stimulating working environment challenges its employees to realize their ambitions; involvement and cooperation are essential to achieve this. Read more about the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences here.

Department of Organization Studies

The current position will be embedded within the Department of Organization Studies within Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The department’s research and education focus on relationships within and between organizations, and the effects of these relationships on adaptive behavior (e.g., organizational learning, change, innovation, resilience, etc.) of organizational forms (teams, projects, organizations, networks) and on broader society. A variety of theoretical perspectives and research methods are employed.

The department has a strong research orientation. We publish in journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Annals, Organization Science, Organization Studies, Leadership Quarterly, and Journal of Management. The department’s research program is part of the Herbert Simon Research Institute of TSB, within which researchers from Organization Studies contribute to the transversal and multidisciplinary research theme “Adaptive Societies, Organizations, and Workers.” Additionally, the department actively contributes to the university-wide research programs on Broad Prosperity and Digital Sciences for Society.

More information about the department and its staff is available here.

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.

Additional Information

Would you like to know more before applying? Please feel free to contact dr. Francesca Ciulli (f.ciulli@tilburguniversity.edu).

We kindly invite you to apply before January 4, 2026; this can only be done online. Your application should include the following documents:

• A letter of motivation explaining your motivation for doing a PhD, your interest in the position and research topic, as well as any experience related to the focus of the PhD (e.g., courses, focus of the MA thesis, internships).
• Your CV. Please explicitly state your level of Dutch proficiency (CEFR) in your CV (minimum required level: B2).
• Official grade list
• MSc. thesis (along with another English writing sample if MSc. thesis is in Dutch)
• Contact details of two referees (We only approach referees for candidates invited to the second round of interviews)

All documents should be in English (aside from the MSc. thesis if originally written in another language and a Dutch grade list).