"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?

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 and collaborate with researchers from different schools and disciplines.

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.

Requirements: A PhD in law, in a field related to the position, or at least having your PhD manuscript approved at the time of application. 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; A strong background and keen interest in sub-sectors of the Dutch energy law, regulatory governance, and/or digital transformation in energy markets; Excellent command of Dutch and English (C1 – C2); Experience in collaborating with diverse stakeholders; A commitment to Tilburg University’s vibrant research community on climate and energy; A proactive, independent, and creative mindset; and Availability to be present at Tilburg University at least two days per week.

Conditions of employment: Employment of 0.8 - 1.0 FTE (32 - 40 hours per week); Salary between €4728 and €6433 gross per month; Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%; Over eight weeks of vacation leave; Hybrid working options; and Other benefits as listed.